Oscar-winning Irish musician and activist Glen Hansard died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday, according to reports.
Hansard, 53, was the lead singer of the rock group The Frames and was also known for his work as one half of the duo The Swell Season. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008 for "Falling Slowly," which he co-wrote with Markéta Irglová for the indie film "Once."
Irish police confirmed that a man in his 50s died following a single-vehicle motorcycle collision in west Dublin. Emergency services were alerted shortly before 4:30 a.m. local time.
Born in Dublin, Hansard also released solo albums, including "Didn't He Ramble," which received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album in 2016. He had a relationship with Markéta Irglová, his co-star and collaborator on "Once." He later had a son, Christy, with poet Maire Saaritsa in October 2022.
Beyond his musical career, Hansard was a prominent activist. He frequently led the Christmas Eve charity busk on Grafton Street in Dublin, raising funds for the Dublin Simon Community. He also participated in protests concerning Ireland's housing crisis, participated in a march marking three years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and joined the anti-austerity water charge protests in 2014.
In December 2023, Hansard performed "Fairytale of New York" with singer Lisa O'Neill at the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan.