Who Should Win the First Ever Casting Oscar?

"For the first time since the advent of the Animated Feature category in 2002, the Oscars have a new trophy: It's the award for Achievement in Casting, which will have two years as the Academy's shiny new toy until the Best Stunts Oscar comes along to steal its thunder in 2028. Since it's never existed before, the Casting Oscar was the subject of much pre-nomination scuttlebutt. Would this be yet another craft category that would be entirely filled with Best Picture nominees?"

"Now that we have our first five Casting nominees, the early answers to those questions are yes, and hopefully. Though films like Weapons and Sirāt cracked the shortlist, in the end the casting branch stocked the category entirely with Best Picture nominees: Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, and Sinners. However, I'd venture that the picks do share an awareness of the unique role casting directors play."

"Others involve an extra layer of difficulty: finding actors with musical talent, or who can handle period dialogue. "It's a testament to who we are," says Kim Taylor Coleman, a casting director on films like Highest 2 Lowest and Harriet, and a member of the Academy's Board of Governors, of the different approaches represented by the nominees. "You have star names, you have A-Listers, you have newcomers, you have street actors.""

The Academy introduced an Achievement in Casting award for the first time since 2002, with the Best Stunts Oscar scheduled to appear in 2028. Pre-nomination debate questioned whether casting nominees would mirror Best Picture choices or become a Best Ensemble proxy. The inaugural shortlist produced five nominees, all of which are Best Picture contenders: Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, and Sinners. Nominees demonstrate varied casting approaches, including major discoveries, use of non-professionals, and searches for musical talent or actors comfortable with period dialogue. Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value was a notable omission despite four acting nominations.

Read at Vulture