Cassandra Kulukundis made history at the 2026 Oscars by winning the first Academy Award ever presented for casting. The veteran casting director heard her name called for a collaboration with her regular auteur boss Paul Thomas Anderson on his One Battle After Another, triumphing over inaugural nominees Francine Maisler (Sinners), Nina Gold (Hamnet), Jennifer Venditti (Marty Supreme) and Gabriel Domingues (The Secret Agent).
Oscar ceremony producers donated a generous piece of the broadcast to the history-making moment by inviting five actors representing the casting directors and their films. Hamnet’s Paul Mescal, Marty Supreme’s Gwyneth Paltrow, One Battle’s Chase Infiniti, The Secret Agent’s Wagner Moura and Sinners’ Delroy Lindo had the honor of presenting the trophy together, a reveal that came after each one took a moment to offer praise of their film’s nominee.
Paltrow opened the envelope and announced Kulukundis, who seemed genuinely shocked by the news, and she rushed to the stage but not before celebrating with Anderson and giving him a high five. Infiniti, whom she cast after a years-long search, looked giddy and emotional and they hugged when Kulukundis made it to the microphone.
“I have to obviously thank the Academy for even adding this category and for the casting directors that fought tirelessly to make it happen despite everything in their way,” she said at the top of her speech. “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 then turned her attention to Anderson. “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. “I just thank you for 10 movies. We’ve done this for years, we grew up together, I guess, and this is freaking insane. I have one before you, which is also crazy. So, yeah, I hope you get one tonight.”
Not long after Kulukundis won, Anderson won his first Oscar ever. The veteran filmmaker won for best adapted screenplay for his work on One Battle After Another, and he received a standing ovation from the crowd.
As she noted, Kulukundis has a long history making films with Anderson. She’s worked with him on his films Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master, Phantom Thread, Inherent Vice and Licorice Pizza. Her other credits include The Brutalist, The Greatest Hits, Gossip Girl, Vox Lux, Her, Breach, The Elephant King, Art School Confidential, Haven, Shattered Glass, Ghost World and more.
The casting award was the first new Oscar introduced since the Academy added a best animated feature Oscar in 2002. The recognition for casting directors had been gaining traction over many years, ever since the Academy created a new branch for casting directors in 2013.
See the star-studded Oscars red carpet 2026 arrivals.
Kulukundis, right, poses with Francine Maisler who cast Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and was presumed to be the frontrunner for the award.
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
