Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Oscar Acceptance Speeches
by: Amy Wagner
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the musical twosome at the center of the break-out indie film Once went from being the hopeful makers of a DIY movie to Oscar winners when the duo won Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly” at the 80th Annual Academy Awards. That would have been good enough right there but the best moment of the night was still to come. Hansard and Irglova took the stage to claim their statues where Hansard delivered a speech that ended with a shout to “Make art!” Irglova then stepped forward for her turn at the mic only to get the “time’s up” play-off music from the orchestra. Then, incredibly, after a commercial break host Jon Stewart invited Irglova back on stage to say her peace, which turned out to be one of the most moving awards show speeches that has ever been seen or will ever be seen for quite some time. It was both a rallying cry and a love letter to the artists who struggle, against all odds, to hold onto their dream and get their music out. You can watch the speech below and then, catch Hansard and Irglova live in NYC at Radio City Music Hall on May 19th where they will be playing under the moniker The Swell Season.
