CELEBRITY
Oscars To Add Academy Award For Casting In 2026
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
A new Oscars category will be added to the award show in 2026, honoring casting directors.
The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday announced the Achievement in Casting award category will be added beginning with the 98th Academy Awards in 2026.
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, they said.
According to the press release, the casting directors branch of the Academy, which includes nearly 160 members, was created in July 2013.
“On behalf of the members of the Casting Directors Branch, wed like to thank the Board of Governors, the Awards Committee and Academy leadership for their support, the branch’s governors, Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman and Debra Zane said in a statement. This award is a deserved acknowledgment of our casting directors exceptional talents and a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch.
The Emmy Awards, which honor achievements in television, already give out awards for casting.
The rules for eligibility and voting for the new Oscars category will be revealed in April 2025.
The last new competitive award category added to the Oscars was for Best Animated Feature Film back in 2001. Shrek was the first film to win the Oscar in that category.
This year’s Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood with host Jimmy Kimmel.
TMX contributed to this article.
