Casting Directors Will Finally Get Their Oscars Due

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Can you believe that casting directors have given us the Parasite ensemble, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and the entirety of the Oppenheimer and Barbie troupes without ever getting recognition from the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences? Well, yes, we can believe it — this is the same organization that’s failed to recognize stunt work, after all — but that doesn’t mean it makes any sense. It appears that the Academy has seen the error of its ways after [checks notes] 95 total ceremonies. The Board of Governors will finally introduce an annual, competitive Academy Award for achievement in casting. The award will be eligible for films released during the 2025 season, with the first Oscar bestowed at the 2026 ceremony. It’s the first new category created since the conservative organization began honoring the Best Animated Feature, an award established in 2001.

“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 on February 8. “We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process.” Say less. The Vulture Movies Fantasy League is already thinking of ways to incorporate the category into gameplay.