Oscar-winning Irish artist Glen Hansard killed in motorcycle crash

Academy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter and actor Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday. He was 56.

The artist's management, ATC Management, confirmed his death in a statement, saying his family was "deeply shocked and heartbroken" by the tragic loss and requesting privacy during this difficult time.

Irish police said a man in his 50s died in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in the Lucan area on the outskirts of Dublin shortly before 4:30am. He was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later . The scene has been preserved for forensic investigation.

Hansard first gained international recognition for his role as guitarist Outspan Foster in the 1991 film The Commitments . He achieved his greatest acclaim in 2008, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly" from the film Once, in which he starred alongside Markéta Irglová . He was also the long-serving frontman of the rock band The Frames and one half of the folk-rock duo The Swell Season with Irglová .

His solo album Didn't He Ramble was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016 . His final album, Don't Settle, was released in two parts in April and June of this year, with a new concert tour scheduled to begin in August .

For years, Hansard led the annual Christmas Eve charity busk outside Dublin's Gaiety Theatre, raising funds for the Dublin Simon Community to support people experiencing homelessness .

At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed "Fairytale of New York" with Irish singer Lisa O'Neill, prompting dancing in the aisles of the church .

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he was "deeply saddened" by Hansard's death, describing him as "a talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland's cultural landscape over many years".