Oscar-Winning Once Musician Glen Hansard Dies at 56

Fatal Accident in Dublin

Glen Hansard was killed in a single-vehicle collision in Lucan, Dublin, around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29. Emergency services were called to the scene where the musician was treated but pronounced dead a short time later. His management team at ATC confirmed the news in a statement sent to Billboard:

"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."

— ATC Management

The Irish police (Gardaí) have opened an investigation into the crash and have requested information from witnesses. A further statement from Hansard's family expressed deep shock at the loss:

"Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time. The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene. As this matter remains the subject of an active Garda investigation, no further comment will be made at this time."

— Hansard Family Statement

Rise to Fame and The Frames

Born Glen James Angus Hansard in the Dublin suburb of Ballymun on April 21, 1970, the musician began his career busking on the streets of his hometown at age 13. He formed the Rock band The Frames in 1990 after signing with Island Records. The group became a staple of the Irish music scene, releasing their debut Another Love Song in 1991 and reaching critical breakthroughs with For the Birds (2001) and the number-one live album Set List (2003).

Hansard first reached a wider audience as an actor in 1991, playing guitarist Outspan Foster in the Alan Parker film The Commitments. Despite the film's success, he remained focused on his music, releasing a string of albums with The Frames including Fitzcarraldo (1995), Dance with the Devil (1999), and The Cost (2006). He later reflected on his drive to perform, citing a difficult upbringing with a violent, alcoholic father:

"My dad was quiet, angry, shut down, so my thing is: I express everything that’s there. I want to get it all out."

— Glen Hansard

International Success with Once

In 2007, Hansard starred in the musical drama Once, directed by his former bandmate John Carney. Hansard and his Swell Season partner Markéta Irglová composed and performed the film's original songs, including the emotional ballad "Falling Slowly." The film, produced on a $150,000 budget, grossed over $20 million worldwide and earned the duo an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Hansard recalled the overwhelming experience of the Oscar ceremony in an interview with Pitchfork:

"When [John Travolta] first goes ‘And the Oscar goes to...,’ from that point on for about two hours my mind is completely blank. It’s almost like when your electricity trips out. My brain just kind of tripped out! I somehow got through it all. I switched into secondary brain power or something. But I literally forgot two hours of the evening... I gave the Oscar straight to my mother, so she has the real one hidden and gone home to Ireland already."

— Glen Hansard

The film was later adapted into a Broadway musical in 2012, winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Hansard shared a Grammy Award in 2013 for Best Musical Theater Album for his songwriting for the original film.

Solo Career and Activism

Following the success of Once, Hansard released his first true solo album, Rhythm and Repose, in 2012. He continued to release solo work throughout the following decade, including Didn’t He Ramble (2015), which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album, Between Two Shores (2018), and All That Was East Is West of Me Now (2023). Just last month, he released the second volume of Don’t Settle – Transmissions East & West, which included recordings from 2025.

Beyond music, Hansard was a prominent activist for housing reform in Ireland. He co-led the 2016 Apollo House Occupation and organized the annual Christmas Eve Busk outside Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre to raise funds for the Dublin Simon Community. The organization called him a "giant in the fight against homelessness" following his passing.

Tributes and Personal Life

Tributes have poured in from across the music industry. Bruce Springsteen, who frequently invited Hansard to perform with him, shared a heartfelt message:

"Here on E Street, we are heartbroken over the death of Glen Hansard. We met in Ireland many years ago and he was always nothing but a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man. Always positive, smiling and ready to sing. God bless him and his loved ones."

— Bruce Springsteen

Bono also honored the singer’s legacy, describing him as an "angelic presence":

"To be utterly yourself by being more interested in others - a clue for any of us trying out different personas. He really was who you thought he was. He could never walk by a person living rough without checking they were OK… and more than that, he worked very hard so that less people had to live on the streets in the first place."

— Bono

Hansard is survived by his partner, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their three-year-old son, Christy. Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin hailed Hansard as a "talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years."