What historic firsts happened at the Oscars?

The biggest Academy milestones from the 98th awards

The ceremony delivered several industry-firsts and rare moments that will shape how the Oscars are remembered.

Key breakthroughs

• A brand-new competitive award made its debut: the Academy handed out its first-ever Best Casting Oscar, recognizing casting as a distinct craft and awarding the inaugural statuette to the casting director responsible for discovering major new talent in a Best Picture contender.
• A historic cinematography win: Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Academy Award for cinematography. Her victory marks a visible change in an area of the Academy that has long been male-dominated.
• National firsts at the acting podium: Jessie Buckley’s Best Actress win represented a landmark for her home country, as she became the first performer from there to take that prize.
• A rare tie: The Live Action Short Film category produced a tie — the first such outcome at the Oscars in 13 years and only the seventh tie in Academy history.

Why these matters add up

Taken together, these moments underline a cultural and institutional shift. The Academy expanded recognition to disciplines and practitioners that historically received less public attention; it also cemented a broader geographical and demographic diversity among top winners. The new casting category and the cinematography milestone are both likely to influence how studios and awards campaigns highlight behind-the-camera talent in future seasons. Meanwhile, the tie and other unusual results are reminders that even a century-old awards process can still produce unexpected, headline-making outcomes.