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How Are the Oscars Changing in 2026?

Margaret Lipman

Last Modified Date: February 26, 2024

For the first time in over two decades, there will be a new Oscar up for grabs. At the 98th Academy Awards in 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will award a statuette for achievement in casting, bringing the total number of categories in the annual ABC telecast to 24.

Casting directors have been pushing for an Oscar for their industry since the creation of the Casting Society of America in 1982. They were finally classified as their own branch of the Academy in 2013, and casting director David Rubin held the position of Academy president from 2019 to 2022.

The specific criteria for eligibility and voting have yet to be announced but are expected next year. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards already have casting-related awards.

For the first time since 2001, the Academy Awards is adding a new category, for “achievement in casting,” to debut at the 2026 ceremony.

Before this announcement, the most recent award to be added to the ceremony was Best Animated Feature, which was announced in 2001 and first awarded to Shrek at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002. There have been other efforts to shake up the Oscars in recent years, most notably in 2018, when the Academy announced the “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film” category. However, the award was never instituted following a significant backlash from many in the film industry who disagreed with the idea of honoring movies that had simply performed well at the box office.

What's new at the Oscars?

“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. We congratulate our casting directors branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process,” Academy President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer said in a recent statement.

Though not official awards, the hashtags #OscarsFanFavorite and #OscarsCheerMoment allowed social media users to vote for their favorite movie and favorite scene. The inaugural 2022 “awards” went to Army of the Dead and the Speed Force scene from Justice League, respectively, both directed by Zack Snyder.

Another notable Oscar change has been the number of nominees in the Best Picture category, which has varied over the years. Back in the 1930s and 1940s, up to a dozen films would be nominated, but this was standardized at five nominations from the late 1940s until 2009, when the category expanded to 10 (possibly in response to The Dark Knight being passed over the year before). Over the next decade, the number of nominated films ranged from 8 to 10 and is currently back at 10.

The 96th Academy Awards will take place on March 10, 2024. Oppenheimer, a major contender for Best Picture, leads with 13 nominations.

Margaret Lipman is a teacher and blogger who frequently writes for WiseGEEK about topics related to personal finance, parenting, health, nutrition, and education. Learn more...

Margaret Lipman

Margaret Lipman is a teacher and blogger who frequently writes for WiseGEEK about topics related to personal finance, parenting, health, nutrition, and education. Learn more...