Addition of Best Achivement in Casting

 

The recent news in the from the academy has been the news that in 2026 there will be the additional category of best achievement in casting the last time a new competitive category was introduced was in 2001 with the creation of the best animated feature film Oscar. “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,” said a statement from the Academy’s CEO, Bill Kramer, and president, Janet Yang. “We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process.” 

The Casting Directors Branch, established in 2023, responded to the news by calling it “deserved acknowledgment” and “a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch”.  

The director of John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski, has also been continuing to petition for an Oscar rewarding those in the stunt department. “We’ve been meeting with members of the Academy and actually having these conversations, and, to be honest, it’s been nothing but incredibly positive, incredibly instructional,” Stahelski said last year. “Everybody on both sides wants this to happen. They want stunts at the Oscars. It’s going to happen.” 

The introduction of the casting Oscar will bring the number of awards handed out to 24.