The Oscars Just Added a New Category for the First Time in Over 20 Years

The Academy is introducing a new Oscars category to honor some of the greatest unsung heroes in Hollywood. No, not stunt performers (yet)—casting directors.

Today, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the addition of a new awards category: Achievement in Casting. It’s the first new Oscars category since 2001, when the Academy introduced Best Animated Feature Film (that Oscar went to Shrek). In 2018, in an effort to boost viewership and make the awards more inclusive, the Academy tried and failed to add a category for best “popular” movie. Somewhat hilariously, the Golden Globes succeeded in introducing a similar category this year, for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, which—unsurprisingly—went to Barbie.

If you’ve seen the 2012 documentary Casting By, then you have a good idea of the crucial role casting directors play in cinema. Without them, we wouldn’t have Heath Ledger’s incredible performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, or—a more recent example—Lily Gladstone’s Oscar-nominated turn in Killers of the Flower Moon. Like stunt performers, casting directors have been lobbying for their own Oscars category for years. Hopefully the addition of a casting Oscar is a good sign for stunt performers, who are equally deserving of recognition.

Unfortunately, the Achievement in Casting Oscar won’t be given out until 2026, at the 98th Academy Awards, which means that movies released in 2025 will be the first ones eligible for the new Oscar. In the meantime, we have the 96th Academy Awards to look forward to; this year’s ceremony will be televised live on ABC on March 10.

(featured image: Michael Tran, FilmMagic)