Jessie Buckley wins Best Actress at the 2026 BAFTA’s

She is the first Irish woman to receive the award.

Recognised for her stellar performance in Hamnet, she is the first Irish woman to receive the award.

Fellow Irish actor Cillian Murphy presented the Kerry woman with the award, and she commented: “This is nuts, this really does belong to the women past, present and future who taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently.”

She continued to say that when she was a little girl, she 'never in a million years thought [she] would get to make a film.'

“I love films and I believe in storytelling. I believe in women’s voices to tell those stories. I share this with my daughter, who has been with me since she was six weeks old on the road with this.

“It’s the best role of my life, being your mum, and I promise to continue to be disobedient so you can belong to a world in all your complete wildness as a young woman. I am very grateful for this," she added.

Hamnet also took home the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film with producer Sam Mendes stating: “We are not great as an industry or a culture for patting ourselves on the back, but perhaps we should.

“Hamnet was an act of faith, a quiet epic about love and loss and grief.”

This latest win has only intensified speculation that Buckley will take home Best Actress at next month’s Oscars.

Her co-star Paul Mescal also attended the awards, and was nominated for his portrayal of Shakespeare in Hamnet.