Hollywood’s newest Oscar category has everyone guessing.

After decades of advocacy for one of filmmaking’s essential crafts, the Academy will present the first competitive award for achievement in casting at the 98th ceremony. The honor marks the first new Oscar category since best animated feature in 2001. Variety has confirmed that the award will be included in the main ceremony.

As Hollywood prepares for this historic debut, it is experiencing something rare: collective uncertainty. Nobody quite knows how to campaign for it — or predict the outcome. Refreshing, isn’t it?

In practice, the new category follows a clear but rigorous structure. All eligible films enter the preliminary ballot, where active members of the Casting Directors Branch vote to create a 10-film shortlist. This i

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