For the first time in its history, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is recognizing the work of casting directors. This is a welcome development for the industry, especially since most of the nominees in this inaugural category are women.<\/p>\n
It's a small revolution in the world of cinema: the 2026 Oscars will feature a new category dedicated to casting direction (Achievement in Casting). Created more than 20 years after the last new distinction \u2013 that of best animated feature in 2001 \u2013 this award aims to highlight an essential link in the creation of a film, often remaining in the shadows.<\/p>\n
Of the 10 films on the first list of candidates, 9 were directed by women, marking unprecedented recognition for this profession long dominated by them without being valued to its full extent.<\/p>\n
Among the first appointees are several major figures in the industry:<\/p>\n
This female predominance is not a coincidence: the Academy's Casting Directors Branch, created in 2013, has approximately 160 members, mostly women.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing recognized by the Academy is a long-awaited moment,\u201d<\/em> casting director Francine Maisler told Variety<\/a> . For her, this distinction \u201cre-establishes casting as an essential artistic and narrative contribution to cinema.\u201d<\/em> She recounted how she found the young Miles Caton for \u201cSinners\u201d after scouring blues clubs and art schools in Atlanta.<\/p>\n The same enthusiasm was shared by casting director Nina Gold, who discovered Jacobi Jupe, the lead actor in "Hamnet," after five successive auditions. "He is an actor of rare talent, and he was exactly in the right place at the right time,"<\/em> she said.<\/p>\n This category finally recognizes the fundamental role of casting directors in a film's success. Their work, blending flair, psychology, and intuition, often determines the chemistry and credibility of a film. By awarding this specialty its first golden statuettes, the Academy sends a powerful message: casting is an art form in its own right.<\/p>\n At a time when Hollywood is seeking to broaden the representation of women and emerging talent, this development brings a welcome breath of fresh air to awards season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the first time in its history, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is recognizing the...","protected":false},"author":8394,"featured_media":433199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1062],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-433198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-culture"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Oscars-2026-_-cette-nouvelle-categorie-surprend-en-nominant-majoritairement-des-femmes-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Oscars-2026-_-cette-nouvelle-categorie-surprend-en-nominant-majoritairement-des-femmes-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Oscars-2026-_-cette-nouvelle-categorie-surprend-en-nominant-majoritairement-des-femmes.jpg","author":{"name":"L\u00e9a Michel","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1721220128171-96x96.jpg"},"categories":[{"term_id":1062,"name":"Culture","slug":"culture","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1156,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Culture section of The Body Optimist picks and analyzes movies, TV shows, books, music and exhibitions through the lens of representation: which bodies, which women and which identities do we see on screen, on the shelves or on stage? Its recommendations, analysis and behind-the-scenes stories are for anyone who loves entertainment but doesn\u2019t check their critical eye at the door.<\/p>\n An inclusive work doesn\u2019t just add a \u201cdifferent\u201d character: it gives that character a story, desires and a point of view. A few questions help you size up a movie, a series or a novel:<\/p>\n The concept of the \u201cfemale gaze\u201d<\/a> also offers a useful framework for analyzing how the camera looks at women.<\/p>\n We love pop culture without ignoring its blind spots. Our picks make room for women writers, directors and artists whose bodies or backgrounds are rarely seen, and our analysis questions how works portray women, fat people and LGBTQIA+ people. A series can be pure fun and still deserve a critical look: the two aren\u2019t mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n The \u201cfemale gaze\u201d is a way of filming or telling stories that invites the audience to share the experience of female characters instead of presenting them as objects of desire. The idea responds to the \u201cmale gaze,\u201d a concept developed by British film theorist Laura Mulvey to describe cinema built around a male point of view.<\/p>\n Movies, TV shows and books help define what we see as beautiful, normal or desirable. Seeing fat, older, disabled or LGBTQIA+ people in fully developed roles, not just as sidekicks, broadens those reference points. Recognizing yourself in a heroine helps you feel legitimate, and diversity on screen helps push back against stereotypes.<\/p>\n Look for stories where a diverse range of heroines and heroes take action and make decisions, without roles reserved for one gender. Themed lists on consent, difference or disability make the choice easier. Watching or reading together then opens the conversation: what your child understood, what surprised them, what they would have done in the character\u2019s place.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Our Society<\/a> section extends these reflections on norms and discrimination, and our Celebrities<\/a> section follows the artists who speak out about their bodies and mental health.<\/p>","parent":0,"count":716,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1062,"category_count":716,"category_description":" The Culture section of The Body Optimist picks and analyzes movies, TV shows, books, music and exhibitions through the lens of representation: which bodies, which women and which identities do we see on screen, on the shelves or on stage? Its recommendations, analysis and behind-the-scenes stories are for anyone who loves entertainment but doesn\u2019t check their critical eye at the door.<\/p>\n An inclusive work doesn\u2019t just add a \u201cdifferent\u201d character: it gives that character a story, desires and a point of view. A few questions help you size up a movie, a series or a novel:<\/p>\n The concept of the \u201cfemale gaze\u201d<\/a> also offers a useful framework for analyzing how the camera looks at women.<\/p>\n We love pop culture without ignoring its blind spots. Our picks make room for women writers, directors and artists whose bodies or backgrounds are rarely seen, and our analysis questions how works portray women, fat people and LGBTQIA+ people. A series can be pure fun and still deserve a critical look: the two aren\u2019t mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n The \u201cfemale gaze\u201d is a way of filming or telling stories that invites the audience to share the experience of female characters instead of presenting them as objects of desire. The idea responds to the \u201cmale gaze,\u201d a concept developed by British film theorist Laura Mulvey to describe cinema built around a male point of view.<\/p>\n Movies, TV shows and books help define what we see as beautiful, normal or desirable. Seeing fat, older, disabled or LGBTQIA+ people in fully developed roles, not just as sidekicks, broadens those reference points. Recognizing yourself in a heroine helps you feel legitimate, and diversity on screen helps push back against stereotypes.<\/p>\n Look for stories where a diverse range of heroines and heroes take action and make decisions, without roles reserved for one gender. Themed lists on consent, difference or disability make the choice easier. Watching or reading together then opens the conversation: what your child understood, what surprised them, what they would have done in the character\u2019s place.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Our Society<\/a> section extends these reflections on norms and discrimination, and our Celebrities<\/a> section follows the artists who speak out about their bodies and mental health.<\/p>","cat_name":"Culture","category_nicename":"culture","category_parent":0}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8394"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433198"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":433228,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433198\/revisions\/433228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} A long-awaited and symbolic recognition<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Culture section<\/h2>\n
\n
How can you tell if a movie, show or book is truly inclusive?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach: enjoying culture with eyes wide open<\/h2>\n
Articles to start with<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is the \u201cfemale gaze\u201d?<\/h3>\n
Why does body representation in movies, TV and books matter?<\/h3>\n
How do you choose inclusive movies and books for kids?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Culture section<\/h2>\n
\n
How can you tell if a movie, show or book is truly inclusive?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach: enjoying culture with eyes wide open<\/h2>\n
Articles to start with<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is the \u201cfemale gaze\u201d?<\/h3>\n
Why does body representation in movies, TV and books matter?<\/h3>\n
How do you choose inclusive movies and books for kids?<\/h3>\n