In a heartfelt moment at the Oscars on Sunday night in Los Angeles, Jessie Buckley revealed her daughter’s name for the first time while accepting the Best Actress award.
The 36-year-old star of “Hamnet” made history as the first Irish woman to receive the accolade, and she dedicated her win to the “beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”
Jessie had announced in December that she welcomed her first child “earlier that year,” having become pregnant just a week after she finished filming “Hamnet.”
Until now, the actress had kept her daughter’s name private, but during her acceptance speech, she shared that her little girl is named Isla.
Addressing the audience at the Dolby Theatre, Jessie said: “Chloe and Maggie, you too get to know this incandescent woman, and the journey to understand the capacity of a mother’s love is the greatest collision of my life.”
She added, “It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today, and I want to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”
‘We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against the odds, thank you for recognising me in this role, this is the greatest honour, I can’t believe it.’
Jessie Buckley shared the name of her daughter for the first time while accepting the award for Best Actress at the Oscars on Sunday evening in Los Angele
The Hamnet actress, 36, who became the first Irish woman to win the gong on the night, dedicated her award to the ‘beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart’
Jessie paid a touching tribute to her family, including her husband Freddie Sorensen (pictured) and their daughter Isla, eight months
Jessie paid a touching tribute to her family, including her husband Freddie Sorensen and their daughter Isla, eight months.
She said: ‘My family, my Irish family, they’re all here tonight. Ireland bought them flights — where are you? Mom, dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation, but to carve from your own passion.
‘You, Fred, I love you. You’re the most incredible dad, you’re my best friend and I want to have 20,000 more babies with you.
‘Isla, who is eight months and has no idea what is going on and is probably dreaming of milk. But this is a big deal and I love you, I love being your mum and I can’t wait to discover life with you.’
Jessie took the time to recognise the work of her fellow nominees, Emma Stone (Bugonia), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) and Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue).
She gushed: ‘Thank you to the incredible women that I stand beside. I am inspired by your art and your heart, and I want to work with every single one of you.’
Anora star Mikey Madison, last year’s winner in the same category, presented the award to Jessie.
Jessie has so far racked up a slew of wins at earlier ceremonies across awards season and was the favourite to take home the Oscar.
Jessie played Agnes, the wife of Shakespeare and the mother of the titular Hamnet, in the Chloe Zhao-directed film.
Jessie’s husband Freddie looked delight as he watched from the audience
Jessie confirmed in December she had welcomed her first child ‘earlier that year’, after falling pregnant a week after filming wrapped on Hamnet
Jessie was also congratulated by her Hamnet co-star Paul Mescal, who played her on-screen husband William Shakespeare
He wrapped her in an embrace before she walked to the stage to accept her award
Jessie took the time to recognise the work of her fellow nominees, Emma Stone (Bugonia), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) and Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
The film was nominated in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Casting, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
Earlier during the awards season, she received her flowers at the Actor Awards (formerly known as SAG), the BAFTAs, the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Golden Globes for her performance in the raw and emotional drama piece.
She was previously nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Lost Daughter back in 2022.
Last year, Chloe opened up about casting Jessie and lauded her performance as Agnes.
‘I knew her work,’ the Oscar-winning filmmaker told IndieWire in November 2025. ‘I had a feeling that she wouldn’t be afraid. There was no vanity in her, which is what Fran McDormand had.’
Chloe continued: ‘I’m neurodivergent, and when there’s dissonance, I can’t function. I can’t look at the person. So I need that authenticity, and vanity is the number-one enemy of authenticity.
‘Actors, their greatest blessing they can give to the world is their authenticity and their humanness.’
One Battle After Another ended the 2026 awards season by winning Best Picture on a night where Michael B Jordan and Jessie earned top acting prizes.
Michael, 39, shocked the world at the 98th Academy Awards as he upset Timothee Chalamet to win Best Actor for Sinners.
Paul Thomas Anderson accepted the top prize of the night alongside Teyana Taylor and the rest of the cast and crew as the film earned the most wins of the night with six.
The American black comedy action-thriller film triumphed over a massive, competitive, field including: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams.
The Leonardo DiCaprio-led film One Battle After Another is centred around a group of ex-revolutionaries who reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own as their enemy resurfaces after 16 years.
The most talked about moment of the night will surely be that Michael earned the top honor Best Actor for his leading role in Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners.
Michael, 39, shocked the world at the 98th Academy Awards as he upset Timothee Chalamet to win Best Actor for Sinners (Jessie pictured with Best Actor winner Michael B Jordan)
One Battle After Another ended the 2026 Oscars by winning Best Picture as director Paul Thomas Anderson accepted the honor beside Teyana Taylor as the honour was presented by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman (seen left to right)
Michael B Jordan shocked the world as he upset Timothee Chalamet to win Best Actor at the Oscars
He upset favourite throughout award season 30-year-old Timothee, who starred in Marty Supreme, as the field included: Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon, and Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent.
Jordan was in disbelief as he walked up to the stage and was greeted by last year’s winner Adrien Brody.
Sinners is about two brothers who return to their hometown to start again only to discover that an even greater evil – in the form of vampires – is waiting to welcome them back.
Michael portrayed both brothers in the film: older and more serious twin Elijah ‘Smoke’ Moore in addition to younger and more cheerful sibling Elias ‘Stack’ Moore.
One Battle After Another was the biggest winner of the evening as Paul Thomas Anderson earned both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
