Oscars Adds 1st New Competitive Category Since 2001- Casting

Everyone, literally everyone: Hey Academy, can we get a stunts category for the Oscars? Finally? Remember “Mad Max: Fury Road‘s” excellence and it’s precedent-setting work? Remember how that would’ve been the perfect time to include it? How about all the “John Wick” films? Hell, even the various Marvel Studios projects have some pretty great stunts!

The Academy: Best we can do is Casting.

For the first time since 2001, the Academy is adding a brand new category to their competitive roster. This is the first new one since Best Animated Feature Film. With this addition, and theoretically no further cuts, the presented main show awards goes back up to 24.

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

Please don’t get us wrong, we absolutely agree casting is a SUPER important part of a film, and absolutely should be honored. But to again ignore stunts? Really? C’mon, now.

“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. This award is a deserved acknowledgment of our casting directors’ exceptional talents and a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch,” Academy Casting Directors Branch governors Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman and Debra Zane said.

The category for Achievement In Casting will begin with the 98th Annual Academy Awards, for films released in 2025.

The 96th awards will take place March 10th, and will be again hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. You can check out the list of nominees here.