Jessie Buckley has been awarded the Oscar for Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards for her outstanding performance in the film Hamnet, directed by Chloe Zhao. In the film, which depicts the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, Buckley's portrayal of Agnes resonates deeply as it tackles the themes of loss and the processing of unimaginable grief, highlighting the power of art in confronting absence. From the initial press screenings, Buckley was considered a front-runner for the award, a prediction that materialized as she consistently won other accolades leading up to the Oscars, including a Golden Globe and an Actors Award, which is voted on by the actors' guild.