The Oscars are adding a new Academy Award for Best Achievement in Casting.
Per Variety, The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday, February 8, that a new Oscar category for Best Achievement in Casting will be added to the Academy Awards.
When will the Best Achievement in Casting Award be introduced?
The 98th annual Academy Awards, which will be held in 2026 for movies released in 2025, will be the first ceremony to distribute the new casting award.
“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. “We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and their commitment and diligence throughout this process.”
Academy Casting Director Branch governors Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Colman, and Debra Zane added in a joint 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.”
The development marks the first time the Academy Award has added a new category since 2001, which was for Best Animated Feature Film.
The 96th Academy Awards are being held on Sunday, March 10, 2024, starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the nominees having been announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Best Picture contenders include American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest.
Click here to see a full list of nominees for the 96th Academy Awards.
