Glen Hansard, Oscar-Winning Irish Singer-Songwriter, Has Died
The Frames and The Swell Season member, and Once star, died at age 56 following a motorcycle crash in Dublin.
By Andy Kahn Jul 29, 2026 • 6:47 am PDT
Photo by Mikolaj Rotowski
Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor known and for his Oscar-winning song “Falling Slowly” from the film Once, died Wednesday (July 29) in Dublin. The former frontman of The Frames was 56.
According to multiple reports, Hansard died following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash. Hansard’s management company, ATC Management, confirmed his death in a statement:
With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard in the early hours of this morning.
We are still dealing with the shock of it all, so we kindly ask that the privacy of Glen’s family, colleagues and friends is respected at this difficult time.
Born in Ballymun, Dublin, in 1970, Hansard began busking on the city’s streets as a teenager before forming The Frames in 1990. The band released six studio albums and became one of Ireland’s most acclaimed bands. Hansard also appeared in the 1991 film The Commitments, playing guitarist Outspan Foster.
Hansard’s profile rose further with his starring role in the 2007 film Once, in which he played a Dublin busker opposite Markéta Irglová. The pair, who also recorded and toured together as The Swell Season, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly.”
As a solo artist, Hansard released five studio albums, including 2012’s Rhythm and Repose, 2015’s Didn’t He Ramble, which earned a Grammy nomination for best folk album, 2018’s Between Two Shores, 2019’s This Wild Willing and 2023’s All That Was East Is West of Me Now. He also toured with frequent collaborator Eddie Vedder in 2011.
Hansard’s sixth solo album, a two-volume live release titled Don’t Settle – Transmissions East and West, was recorded over two nights in April 2025 at Funkhaus Berlin and was released earlier this year.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Glen Hansard,” Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated. “A talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years. My sincere sympathies to his family, friends, and fans. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”
