After years of advocacy within Hollywood, the Oscars will at long last begin recognizing casting at the Academy Awards, announcing a new Oscar for casting directors.

The achievement in casting award will begin for films released in the 2025 calendar year and will be awarded at the ceremony airing in early 2026. This is the first new category to be added to the awards show since 2001, when Best Animated Feature Film was introduced.

“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 joint statement Thursday announcing the creation of the new award.

For years, casting directors in Hollywood have been advocating for recognition from the film academy. The Emmys have a casting award for television, but up until now, the film academy has never awarded Oscars for casting.

“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 Thursday.

The film academy established a casting directors branch in 2013. It has nearly 160 members.

More details and rules for the new category will be announced in 2025.