Jessie Buckley Dedicates Actor Award Win to ‘Hamnet’ Co-Star Emily Watson
jessie buckley won the 2026 Actor Awards for outstanding performance by a female actor in a film and used her acceptance speech to single out Hamnet co-star Emily Watson. The Irish native’s victory follows major wins on the precursor circuit and positions her as an Oscar frontrunner.
Jessie Buckley’s Acceptance
Accepting what was her first-ever individual Actor Award nomination and win, Buckley told the room: "Wow. I want to like take a minute to see all these incredible, inspiring faces and souls in front of me. I have been categorically changed by so many people in this room and beyond. … What a way to spend a life. " She also pointed to Watson from the stage and said, "You!"
Tribute to Emily Watson
Buckley devoted the bulk of her remarks to her Hamnet costar and inspiration. "I’d like to say a special thank you to my incredible friend and date tonight, Emily Watson, " she said. "Breaking the Waves made me say to myself, that’s what I want to do. … The best advice that you always give to me is to always go back to the well of just being human. Ground zero, babe. You’re the realest of the real. " In a closely similar rendering of the moment, Buckley also said she "whispered to myself 'That is what I want to do'" after seeing Breaking The Waves and added that she will "cherish" sharing scenes with Watson in Hamnet "for the rest of my life. "
Wins and Awards Sweep
The Actor Awards victory continued a dominant run for the Irish actress, who had already won a Golden Globe and a Bafta, and earlier picked up prizes from the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs. The SAG-AFTRA recognition for her turn as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet means she will head into the Oscars in two weeks having effectively swept the precursor awards circuit — a feat that almost always translates to victory at the Academy Awards.
Hamnet, Origins and Accolades
Hamnet, based on Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel, is a fictional account that explores the lives of William Shakespeare, his wife Agnes and their family. The film portrays the death of the couple's son Hamnet and examines how that loss may have influenced Shakespeare's theatrical masterpiece, Hamlet. The film received six Golden Globe nominations and won two, including best film, and alongside Buckley's BAFTA win the film also won the BAFTA for outstanding British film. O'Farrell was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, to Irish parents, but grew up in Wales and Scotland.
Competition and Nominations
Buckley’s strongest competition at the Actor Awards 2026 was thought to be Rose Byrne, whose intense performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You earned a slew of critics’ prizes plus a Golden Globe and a Spirit Award. Byrne is also nominated at the Oscars, as are fellow Actor Award competitors Emma Stone (Bugonia) and Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue). SAG-AFTRA’s final nominee in the category, One Battle After Another’s Chase Infiniti, was passed over by the Academy in favor of Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve.
Stage Work and Ensemble Credits
Beyond Hamnet, Buckley’s recent roles range from William Shakespeare's wife, Agnes, in Hamnet, to Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret on London's West End. She is also nominated tonight as part of the Hamnet cast and had previously been cited for best ensemble for Women Talking. The 2026 Actor Awards ceremony, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, celebrates the year's best on-screen performances in TV and film.
With the Oscars scheduled to be held in Los Angeles on 15 March 2026 at 23: 00 GMT, Buckley’s string of precursor victories has raised expectations about whether she will become the first-ever Irish winner of the best actress Oscar should she take the Academy Award.
