Oscars.Photo:Al Seib/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty
Al Seib/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty
A newOscarscategory is being unveiled.
On Thursday, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed that Achievement in Casting will become a new competitive award category, beginning with 2026’s 98th Academy Awards.
The last time a new competitive category was created for the Oscars was back in 2001 with the Best Animated Feature Film. (Shrekbecame the first to win that honor.)
“Casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking, and as the Academy evolves, we are proud to add casting to the disciplines that we recognize and celebrate,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.
“We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process.”
Oscars.Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty
Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty
The new category’s rules for voting and eligibility will be outlined in April 2025. According to a press release, the casting directors branch of the Academy was created in July 2013, and it includes nearly 160 members.
The casting directors branch’s governors Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman and Debra Zane said in a statement, “On behalf of the members of the Casting Directors Branch, we’d like to thank the Board of Governors, the Awards Committee and Academy leadership for their support. This award is a deserved acknowledgment of our casting directors’ exceptional talents and a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch."
Other awards shows, like the U.K.’s BAFTA Awards and the television-spanning Emmy Awards, already give out awards for casting.
Back in 2018, the Oscarsintroduced a Best Popular Film category, though the Academy quickly walked it back and canceled the initiative. In 2022, theOscars had two fan-voted categories: Fan Favorite and Oscars Cheer Moment.
source: people.com
