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02/12/2025

Best Casting, the new category for the Oscars in 2026


Best Casting will be the new category at the Oscars in 2026 | The Oscars 2026 will include the new Best Casting category, recognizing the work in actor selection. This historic decision reflects the importance of casting in cinematic success and will be implemented from the next awards season.

The Oscar categories have not been altered since 2001, when Best Animated Feature was introduced. Before the 97th ceremony, scheduled for March 2 next year, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced over the weekend the creation of the competitive Best Casting award.

With this new award, there will be 24 categories at the Oscars starting in 2026.

Casting directors will be the ones to receive this recognition, as the Hollywood Academy added this branch in 2013 and currently has 160 members. "Casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking, and as the Academy evolves, we are proud to add casting to the disciplines we recognize and celebrate," said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. The organization's president, Janet Yang, also celebrated this addition: "I congratulate the members of the Casting Directors Branch for this exciting milestone and for their commitment and dedication throughout this process."

Casting direction involves interpreting the script, analyzing characters—both their physical and emotional traits—working closely with the director and producer, and acting as a bridge between them and the actors. They are responsible for finding actors who best fit the roles, coordinating auditions, collaborating with, and advising the production and cast, and participating in contract negotiations. "On behalf of the members of the Casting Directors Branch, we want to thank the Board of Governors, the Awards Committee, and the Academy leadership for their support. This award is a well-deserved recognition of the exceptional talent of our casting directors and a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch," stated the governors of the Academy's Casting Directors Branch, Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman, and Debra Zane.

What would films be without good casting?

A successful casting can be definitive for a film's success, which is easily demonstrated by recalling productions that became classics due to their casting. Just remember the impeccable ensemble cast by Fred Roos (May 22, 1934 – May 18, 2024) for "The Godfather" (1972), not only for choosing Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as Michael but also for the supporting roles filled by Robert Duvall or James Caan. At that time, Roos opted for lesser-known actors to bring authenticity and freshness to the film.

You don't need to be a cinephile to remember Tom Hanks in his role as Forrest Gump in the 1994 adaptation by Robert Zemeckis. What is less often remembered is that his selection was managed by Ellen Lewis, one of the most renowned casting directors in the industry, who has worked with Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, Jim Jarmusch, and Steven Spielberg on titles like "Goodfellas", "The Departed", "Casino", "The Devil Wears Prada", and "The Wolf of Wall Street". Lewis, along with Zemeckis, was key in selecting Hanks for the film, as he was not the studio's, Paramount Pictures', first choice, which included Bill Murray and John Travolta. The casting director mentioned to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Hollywood Actors Guild, that auditions are a very important part of the process, not just for choosing one artist over another but to understand how they can connect with a character and, above all, identify how they can uniquely contribute to the story.

However, just as there are casts that stand out, there are others that, in practice, do not achieve that essential chemistry to push and elevate a story. This happened with "Cats" (2019), where great actresses and singers like Judi Dench, Idris Elba, and Taylor Swift were not enough to guarantee its success. The same occurred with "Jupiter Ascending", an anticipated production by the Wachowski sisters that fizzled out, among other reasons, due to the disconnected performances by actors like Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum. More recently, "Emilia Pérez" has sparked much discussion and controversy, including the performance of its cast due to their poor handling of the Spanish language and singing, for a film that was made in Spanish and is a musical. (You might be interested in: Nominees for the 2025 Oscars).

Among the 160 members of this branch within the Academy are Francine Maisler (The Revenant, Joker, Dune, and The Big Short), Mary Vernieu (Black Swan, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle), and Victoria Thomas (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Django Unchained, and Inglourious Basterds).

The Hollywood Academy added in its statement that the eligibility and voting rules for this new category will be announced in April, along with the full regulations for next year's awards season.

The Oscar categories for 2026 will be as follows:

These awards are complemented by the honorary awards known as the Governors Awards, which are divided into three categories: the Honorary Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.



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