Oscars 2026 adds first new award category in 25 years. What is it? Nominees, prediction and more
The Oscars 2026 winners will be announced on Sunday night. It will be taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, streaming live on ABC and Hulu at 7 pm ET.
The 98th Academy Awards is all set to roll out the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This year, Hollywood's biggest night will be honouring talent in a new category for achievements in casting, titled Best Casting. With this, the show will hand out 24 awards starting this season.
Nominations in new Oscars category
The Nominees for Best Casting are Sinners, The Secret Agent, One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme and Hamnet.
Best Casting prediction
Deadline predicted veteran Francine Maisler to be the winner of this category for Sinners, considering her years of contribution.
This marks Oscar's first new award in almost 25 years. The ceremony last introduced the best animated feature film category in 2001, which was won by Shrek in 2002.
“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,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement as per the official website. “We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process.”
“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,” added Academy Casting Directors Branch governors Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman and Debra Zane.
"We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process,” the Academy wrote.
Who decides the Academy Awards
The Academy has around 10,500 members. Reportedly, it added about 400 members last year, who are organising the titles into 18 categories or branches, as they are called at the Academy: actors, producers, screenwriters, musicians, makeup artists, film executives, etc. The branch for casting directors was first established in July 2013.
About Academy Awards 2026
Meanwhile, the Academy Awards 2026 will be hosted again by Conan O'Brien.
This year, Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic Sinners is leading across all categories with 16 nods for the 98th Academy Awards, setting a new record for the most Oscar nominations in history. Alongside the Best Picture nomination, Coogler is up for Best Director and Best Screenplay. Michael B. Jordan, who stars in the film, earned his first Oscar nomination for the Best Actor award.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another bagged 13 nods, including four acting nominations for Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn.
However, Timothée Chalamet's chances at the Oscars 2026 are said to be weak for his performance in Marty Supreme, following his controversial statement on ballet or opera.
Where to watch Oscars 2026
The event will be streaming live on ABC and Hulu on March 15, starting at 7 pm ET.
Other free online streaming options include Oscar.com, Oscar.org, and the Academy’s social media channels on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Indian viewers can watch the ceremony on JioHotstar.
About the Author
Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.