The Irish talent who could set records at the Oscars

Actress Jessie Buckley and producers Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe could be the first Irish winners in their respective categories at the 2026 Oscars, according to data analyzed by VegasInsider.com.

Buckley, from Killarney in Co Kerry, could become the first Irish actress to ever win in the Best Actress category.

She's nominated for her lead role of Agnes Shakespeare in "Hamnet," which landed an impressive eight nominations - Best Actress, Casting, Costume Design, Directing, Original Score, Best Picture, Production Design, and Adapted Screenplay.

This is Buckley's first time being nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actress category. She was nominated in 2022 for her supporting role in "The Lost Daughter," but lost out to Ariana DeBose, who won for "West Side Story."

The Co Kerry native is the favorite to win the Best Actress Oscar after winning a Golden Globe, Critics' Choice, Actor Award, IFTA, and BAFTA for her performance.

In "Hamnet," Buckley co-stars with another Irish actor, Paul Mescal, who didn't land an acting nomination for his role as William Shakespeare.

Meanwhile, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, of the Dublin-based Element Pictures, could become the first Irish winners in the Best Picture category.

The Irish co-producers are nominated alongside Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, and Lars Knudsen for "Bugonia," which overall nabbed four nominations.

This is the fourth Best Picture nomination for Guiney and the second for Lowe; neither has yet to win.

"Hamnet" and "Bugonia" are both nominated in the Best Picture category alongside "F1," "Frankenstein," "Marty Supreme," "One Battle After Another," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value," "Sinners," and "Train Dreams."

Irish American funnyman Conan O'Brien is stepping back into hosting duties this year after his well-received debut last year.

Reflecting on last year, O'Brien said: "There's a lot of chatter about how it's a thankless task to host one of these shows, and I didn't find that to be true. I just found it to be a fun gig and I enjoyed it, and I had a lovely evening and a lot of laughs."

O'Brien will likely be cheering on Rose Byrne on the night of the Oscars - she's nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in "If I Had Legs I Would Kick You," which O'Brien featured in.

Conan O'Brien is host of the 2026 Academy Awards. (The Academy ©A.M.P.A.S.)

The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu, and will air live in more than 200 territories worldwide.