DUBLIN, IRELAND (THECOUNT) — Glen Hansard, the acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter, actor and Academy Award-winning musician best known for the film “Once” and the bands The Frames and The Swell Season, died Wednesday following a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56.
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, was both Hansard’s birthplace and the setting that inspired much of his music and film work throughout a career that spanned more than four decades.
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Hansard’s management confirmed his death in a statement released Wednesday.
“With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard in the early hours of this morning,” the statement read. “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.”
Hansard reportedly died following injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. Additional details surrounding the collision have not yet been released by authorities.
After leaving school at age 13 to pursue music, Hansard became a familiar face busking on the streets of Dublin before forming The Frames in 1990. The band developed a devoted following in Ireland and later gained recognition in the United States through its independent releases and energetic live performances.
Hansard’s acting career began with a role in the 1991 musical film “The Commitments,” but international acclaim arrived in 2007 when he starred opposite Markéta Irglová in the independent musical film “Once.”
The pair won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly,” which became one of the most celebrated songs of the decade. The success of “Once” later led to a Broadway adaptation that earned Hansard a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Hansard and Irglová subsequently formed The Swell Season, releasing multiple albums and continuing their musical collaboration over the years. They reunited in 2025 to release the album “Forward.”
In addition to his work with The Frames and The Swell Season, Hansard released several solo albums, including “Didn’t He Ramble,” which received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album in 2015.
Earlier this year, Hansard released the live album collection “Don’t Settle,” featuring performances spanning his extensive musical catalog.
Widely regarded as one of Ireland’s most influential contemporary musicians, Hansard’s career blended folk, rock and cinematic storytelling while earning him international acclaim as both a performer and songwriter.
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