Kenneth Branagh wins his first Oscar for Belfast after 8 career nominations

Yes, somehow the actor-director hasn't won an Oscar before this year's ceremony.

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Published on March 27, 2022 10:43PM EDT

Thirty-two years after receiving his very first Academy Award nominations for 1989's Henry V, actor-director Kenneth Branagh has officially won his first Oscar.

Branagh took home Best Original Screenplay for his latest film, Belfast, during the Oscars ceremony, which was telecast on ABC Sunday night.

"This story is the search for joy and hope in the face of violence and loss," Branagh said during his acceptance speech. "We will never forget all of those lost in the heartbreaking, heartwarming, human story of that amazing city of Belfast on the fabulous island of Ireland," he added.

Kenneth Branagh wins the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Branagh wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical Belfast, which stars Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, and the young Jude Hill. The film follows a working-class family and the son's childhood during the late 1960s in the Northern Ireland capital.

The filmmaker, who was born in Belfast in 1960, was also nominated this year for Achievement in Directing and Best Motion Picture of the Year.

Branagh received his first Oscar nominations for Henry V, both for Best Director and Best Actor. The other nominations followed in 1993 for Best Live-Action Short Film (Swan Song), 1997 for Best Adapted Screenplay (Hamlet), and 2021 for Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Actor (My Week With Marilyn).

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Kenneth Branagh wins his first Oscar for Belfast after 8 career nominations

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