Oscars are opening a new category after 25 years and here's why it matters
2026-03-14 18:35:00
TiranaPost
The Academy Awards ceremony takes place tomorrow and this year brings an important innovation: The Academy will introduce a new category, "Best Casting."
This award will recognize the work of casting directors, the professionals who choose the actors for the films we see on screen. It is the first time in almost 25 years that the Academy has added a new category to the Oscars.
Casting has long been considered an underrated art. It is a female-dominated field within a historically male-dominated industry, and for many years was among the last professions to gain both its own union and Oscar recognition.
In the best cases, casting opens up new careers and makes viewers see established actors in a whole new light. However, for the general public, this work often remains invisible.
The first nominations for this category come after a 50-year effort to include this award in the Oscars. The casting directors branch was only included in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013, and then its members launched a new campaign to make this award a reality.
A significant step was taken in 2020, when the BAFTA Awards added an award for casting. Finally, in 2024, the Academy announced that the Oscar for Best Casting would be awarded for films released in 2025.
It was also announced that another technical category, "Achievement in Stunt Design", will be added in 2028, showing a greater commitment to recognizing all the creative professions behind the making of a film.
The first nominees for "Best Casting" are:
Francine Maisler – for the film Sinners. She is known for her work on Reality Bites, You've Got Mail, and the series Succession.
Nina Gold – for the film Hamnet. In her career, she has worked on well-known projects such as Game of Thrones, Paddington and Conclave.
Cassandra Kulukundis – for One Battle After Another. She has cast most of director Paul Thomas Anderson's films.
Jennifer Venditti – for Marty Supreme. Known for her work on Euphoria and Uncut Gems, as well as discovering new faces in the film American Honey.
Gabriel Domingues – for The Secret Agent. He has worked primarily in Brazil and is credited with selecting a diverse cast of actors with diverse backgrounds.
