Jessie Buckley’s Oscar Bid Highlights Ireland’s Cinematic Surge

Ireland is poised for a potentially historic moment at the 98th Academy Awards, with Jessie Buckley widely favored to become the nation’s first Best Actress winner. Her nomination for her role in Hamnet underscores a remarkable period of cinematic success for Ireland, a country that has strategically invested in its burgeoning talent pool.

A Decade of Irish Oscar Success

Buckley’s nomination is part of a broader Irish presence at this year’s ceremony, with several other artists recognized in craft categories. Irish production companies also played a role in the multi-nominated films Bugonia and Blue Moon. This current wave of recognition follows a decade of extraordinary achievement; since 2013, Ireland, with a population of 5.5 million, has garnered more acting Oscar nominations than in the preceding 84 ceremonies combined. This impressive list includes Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan, and Cillian Murphy, who made history in 2024 as the first Irish-born actor to win Best Actor .

IFTAs Celebrate Irish Talent

Fresh off a string of international successes, Cillian Murphy recently returned to Dublin to celebrate his Oscar nomination for Best Lead Actor in Steve, making a rare red carpet appearance with his wife, Yvonne McGuinness . The Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) showcased a host of homegrown and international talent. Jessie Buckley herself was honored at the IFTAs, opting for a minimalist black gown .

Buckley on the Verge of History

If Buckley wins, she will become the first actor since Renée Zellweger in 2020 to win at all five major ceremonies in the Leading Actress category: the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Oscars and Actor Awards . More importantly, she will be the first Irish actor to win Best Actress. Previously, only Brenda Fricker had won an Oscar for an Irish actor, taking Best Supporting Actress for My Left Foot .

Other Irish Nominees and Wins

Several other Irish talents are also in contention. Richard Baneham, the visual effects artist behind the Avatar franchise, is poised to win his third Oscar for his work on Avatar: Fire and Ash. Director John Kelly and producer Andrew Freedman are nominated in the Animated Short category for Retirement Plan. Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe from Element Pictures have four nominations for Bugonia, including Best Picture.

Key Wins Announced

• International Feature Film: Sentimental Value (Norway)
• Actress in a Supporting Role: Amy Madigan – Weapons
• Actor in a Supporting Role: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
• Actor in a Leading Role: Michael B Jordan – Sinners
• Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
• Writing (Original Screenplay): Ryan Coogler – Sinners
• Actress in a Leading Role: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

Best Picture Race: A Tight Contest

The Best Picture race is expected to be a close contest between One Battle After Another and Sinners. Sinners has a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations, potentially giving it an edge. The preferential ballot system for Best Picture could also play a role, allowing voters to rank their choices.

The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will be broadcast live on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player from 11:00pm on Sunday, March 15th, and will also air on RTÉ2 on Monday evening from 9:30pm.