Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland congratulates Irish Oscar winners Jessie Buckley and Richard Baneham
Posted: 16th March 2026
Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland congratulates Jessie Buckley and Richard Baneham, who won Oscars for Best Actress and Best Visual Effects at the 98th Academy Awards last night.
Irish talent and Irish produced films earned a remarkable 10 Oscar nominations this year, continuing a decade-long trend of exceptional Irish representation at the world’s most celebrated film awards.
This year’s Irish nominations spanned major categories including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Animated Short Film and Visual Effects, underscoring the depth of Irish creative and technical talent across the industry. Since 2015, Irish talent and Irish produced films have received more than 50 Oscar nominations.
Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland said;
Our heartfelt congratulations to Jessie Buckley on her historic win for Best Actress, to Richard Baneham on his win for Best Visual Effects, and to all the Irish nominees at the 98th Academy Awards.
Ireland’s screen sector has grown significantly over the past decade, with sustained support from the Irish Government. The artists and filmmakers nominated this year, across acting, producing, animation and visual effects, reflect the extraordinary talent and artistry that defines the Irish film industry. We hope their remarkable work will inspire the next generation and strengthen Ireland’s reputation for storytelling on screen.”
Jessie Buckley’s win marks the first time an Irish woman has won the Best Actress Award at the Academy Awards. Her work has long been celebrated for its emotional depth and versatility, and this award recognises her as one of the world’s most exceptional artists working in film today.
Richard Baneham is one of Ireland’s most distinguished visual effects artists and is a global leader in the field. This is his third Academy Award, having won the category previously in 2009 for Avatar and again in 2023 for Avatar: The Way of Water. His continued success his individual mastery and the world class reputation of Irish talent in high end screen craft and innovation.
Fís Éireann/ Screen Ireland was in Los Angeles last week on a trade mission ahead of the 98th Academy Awards and held a series of meetings with leading studios and production companies, including Netflix, Sony, Amazon MGM and Paramount, to promote Ireland’s screen industry, reinforce its strength and explore opportunities for greater collaboration.