Cassandra Kulukundis wins inaugural Academy Award for best casting for ‘One Battle After Another’

ByMason Leib, Angeline Jane Bernabe, Emily Shapiro, and Katie Kindelan 

Last Updated: March 15, 2026, 6:38 PM MDT

Cassandra Kulukundis won the Oscar for best casting for the film "One Battle After Another."

In her acceptance speech,Kulukundis dedicated her award to all the casting directors who “never got a chance to get up here, who didn't even get a chance to get their name on the movie.”

Other nominees in the category included Nina Gold ("Hamnet"), Jennifer Venditti ("Marty Supreme"), Gabriel Domingues ("The Secret Agent") and Francine Maisler ("Sinners").