The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its first new category for the Oscars ceremony in over two decades. According to Variety, an award acknowledging achievement in casting will begin at the 98th Academy Awards ceremony in 2026, honoring films released in 2025. 

The last category created for the Oscars, Best Animated Feature Film, was added in 2001 and has been a part of the show ever since.

This development is a pleasant surprise to film fans who have been hoping the Academy would broaden the scope of its awards rather than narrow it. In 2022, the Academy controversially decided to award eight honors during non-televised portions of the show. They have since changed course, airing every category for its 95th ceremony in 2023. 

“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 in a statement Thursday. “We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and their commitment and diligence throughout this process.”

The Casting Directors Branch of the Academy assembled in July 2013 and today has nearly 160 members.

“On behalf of the members of the Casting Directors Branch, we’d like to thank the Board of Governors, the Awards Committee, and Academy leadership for their support,” Casting Directors Branch governors Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Colman, and Debra Zane added. “This award is a deserved acknowledgment of our casting directors’ exceptional talents and a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch.”

The announcement of category rules for eligibility and voting for the award will come in April 2025, along with the complete 98th Academy Awards Rules. The Academy’s board of governors and its administrative leadership will determine the specifics of the award’s presentation at a future date.

An award for Best Casting is one that Academy members, industry workers, and the general public have been pushing to be implemented into the ceremony for years, along with other awards that would honor professionals like stunt choreographers and performers. It is unknown if this is a sign that the Academy will look to continue including new categories, but fans of the ceremony would likely be happy to see similar developments. 

Update Courtesy of Evan Miller