All articles tagged with #best casting
Vulture's Bilge Ebiri praises the 2026 Oscars as a celebration of movie-watching culture, with Conan O’Brien’s spoofs and a mood of admiration, the debut of Best Casting, and tributes that honored cinema, signaling a shift away from pandering to non-viewers toward celebrating the craft.
The 2026 Oscars delivered a mix of triumph and oddity, highlighted by Michael B. Jordan’s surprise Best Actor win and the first-ever Best Casting award, alongside lighter moments like a bum drum and the ceremony’s choice to play off a “Kpop Demon Hunters” speech.
Live updates from the 98th Academy Awards note Sean Penn’s Best Supporting Actor win for One Battle After Another, despite not attending; a rare tie occurs in the Live-Action Short category between The Singer and Two People Exchanging Saliva. One Battle After Another claims the first-ever Best Casting award for Cassandra Kulukundis. Frankenstein wins in Costume Design and Hair/Makeup, while Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters takes Best Animated Feature and Amy Madigan earns Best Supporting Actress for Weapons. Conan O’Brien hosts, with red-carpet moments and snacking bits punctuating the night.
The Ringer’s Adam Nayman explains the Oscars’ newly created Best Casting category, arguing casting as a craft that blends direction, talent scouting, and storytelling, tracing its history from studio-driven casting to the rise of casting directors like Lynn Stalmaster and Marion Dougherty. The piece surveys the first nominees (Venditti, Gold, Kulukundis, Maisler, Domingues), discusses how great casting creates alchemy by mixing established stars with non-professionals, and suggests the new award could elevate recognition of casting beyond prestige pictures and into broader appreciation of its impact on film, while acknowledging potential surprises and the long-term evolution of the category.