Oscars introduces a new category for best casting from 2026

A new Oscar for best casting is being introduced by the Academy awards organisers. The award will be given out from the year 2026 onwards. It will be the first new competitive category at the Oscars since Best Animated Feature was added in 2002.

Casting directors have campaigned in recent years to be recognised for their work in a similar manner in which other crafts of filmmaking such as sound, costume, hair and makeup are recognised.

In a statement, Academy bosses said casting directors "play an essential role in filmmaking".

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Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang added in the statement, "As the Academy evolves, we are proud to add casting to the disciplines that we recognise and celebrate."

"We congratulate our casting directors branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process," they further said.

The category will only be introduced in 2026 because the Academy plans ceremonies years in advance.

Oscar Awards

The move comes despite the Academy's efforts to shorten the Oscars ceremony in recent years to keep viewers interested and hooked. Often, the show runs well over its scheduled three hours. At present 23 awards are given out at the Oscars. However, the the most popular awards are only a handful of categories including Best Picture, the acting categories and Best Director.

The Academy did not confirm whether the new casting category would be included in the telecast of the awards show. A decision will likely not be made closer to the 2026 ceremony.

Casting directors are typically among the earliest staff to be involved in any new film project, playing a key role in shaping major Hollywood films. They are instrumental in casting A-list stars who will be the face of a film. They also cast actors for supporting roles.

Stunt performers have also been campaigning for their own category at the Academy Awards, but so far have not been recognised.

One of the key precursor ceremonies, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, introduced a stunt category in 2007. Last year, it was won by the team who worked on Top Gun: Maverick.

The Popular Film category at Oscars

The introduction of the new category has received mostly positive responses, unlike Oscar's previous deliberation around introducing the popular film category back in 2018. The proposed category was termed as a move to recognise films that are box office hits but may not earn nominations in traditional categories. The category- of introduced- would include summer blockbusters and superhero franchises.

However, the move prompted criticism, as many high-profile industry figures said such a category would dilute the prestige and integrity of the Oscars.

Earlier this year, the Golden Globes introduced a box office achievement prize, which went to Greta Gerwig's Barbie. The film lost out at some of the major categories at the ceremony.

Oscars 2024

Comedian and TV host Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting the Oscars 2024. The ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on 10 March. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is leading with 13 nominations this year while Greta Gerwig's Barbie has been nearly sidelined.