Oscar-winning Irish musician Glen Hansard has died aged 56 following a motorbike crash in Dublin, prompting tributes from across the music world, including Bruce Springsteen and Ed Sheeran. Hansard rose to fame playing Outspan Foster in the 1991 film The Commitments and went on to front the acclaimed rock band The Frames, later winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008 for "Falling Slowly", performed with Markéta Irglova in the film Once. He was also widely respected for his charity work, notably an annual Christmas Eve busk in Dublin that raised money for homeless causes.

The single-vehicle crash occurred on Lower Road in Lucan, west of Dublin, and was reported to emergency services shortly before 04:30 local time. His management company, ATC Management, said his family was "deeply shocked and heartbroken" and thanked the emergency services involved. Springsteen described himself as "heartbroken", recalling duetting with Hansard in Kilkenny in 2013, while Ed Sheeran called him "an incredible human, an incredible force". The Simon Community homelessness charity said it was "devastated" by his death, praising his long-standing commitment to social justice, and friend and artist Colin Davidson said he was "quite broken" by the loss of a man he called "unique" and "incredibly kind".