Oscars has its first-ever ‘Casting’ winner in 2026
Cassandra Kulukundis has made Oscar history, becoming the first casting director ever to win an Academy Award after the category made its debut at the 98th ceremony on 15 March.
Kulukundis took home the inaugural prize for her work on Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, beating out four fellow first-time nominees, Francine Maisler for Sinners, Nina Gold for Hamnet, Jennifer Venditti for Marty Supreme and Gabriel Domingues for The Secret Agent.
The win marked the first new Oscar category introduced since best animated feature was added back in 2002.
The Academy gave the moment the weight it deserved.
Five actors, each representing one of the nominated films, took to the stage together to present the award: Paul Mescal for Hamnet, Gwyneth Paltrow for Marty Supreme, Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another, Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent and Delroy Lindo for Sinners.
Each offered a tribute to their film’s nominee before Paltrow opened the envelope and read out Kulukundis’s name.
The reaction was immediate and genuine.
Kulukundis looked genuinely stunned, rushing to the stage after stopping to celebrate with Anderson and exchange a high five.
Infiniti, whom she had cast after a years-long search, was visibly emotional, and the two embraced when Kulukundis reached the microphone.
Her speech was both a tribute and a rallying cry.
She opened by dedicating the award to the casting directors who had fought for years to make the category a reality, and to those who never got the recognition they deserved.
“I dedicate this to you and to the casting directors who never got a chance to get nominated, who didn’t even get a chance to get their name on the movie. So this is for you guys,” she said.
She then turned to Anderson, with whom she has collaborated on ten films spanning decades, including Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, The Master, Phantom Thread and Licorice Pizza.
“When Paul Thomas Anderson calls you, you enter the PTA Witness Protection Program, and you literally don’t talk to your friends or your family unless they have somebody that’s right for the movie,” she said warmly.
She closed with a moment of friendly one-upmanship: “I have one before you, which is also crazy. So, yeah, I hope you get one tonight.”
She didn’t have to wait long to find out.
Not long after her win, Anderson took home best adapted screenplay for One Battle After Another, his first Oscar ever, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
The casting category had been a long time coming.
The Academy created a dedicated casting directors branch back in 2013, and recognition had been building steadily ever since. On Sunday night, that recognition finally arrived.
