Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970 in Dublin, Ireland) is the Academy Award–winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk rock duo, The Swell Season. He is also known for his acting, having appeared in the BAFTA winning film The Commitments, as well as starring in the film Once.His song "Falling Slowly" from Once, co-written with Markéta Irglová, won the Academy-Award for Best Original Song in 2007, and earned him ten other major nominations or awards between 2007 and 2008.