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Raine Allen Miller’s debut feature Rye Lane, Adjani Salmon’s Dreaming Whilst Black, and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical were among the top winners at the sixth edition of the CDG Casting Awards. Scross down for the full list of winners.
Kharmel Cochrane picked up the Best Casting in an Independent Film award for her work on Rye Lane. Dreaming Whilst Black landed the Best Casting in a TV Comedy Series award for Heather Basten, Peter Noden, and Fran Cattaneo, and Louise Kiely won Best Casting in a Film for The Banshees of Inisherin.
High-profile titles that missed out on honors include Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which was nominated for Best Casting in a Film alongside Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Kharmel Cochrane cast Saltburn and also popped in the noms for Best Casting in a Commercial for her work on Vanish ‘Me, My Autism & I.
The awards were hosted by Sir Simon Russell Beale, CBE, alongside presenters Jamie Dornan, Emma D’Arcy, George MacKay, Liz Carr, Tanya Moodie, Layton Williams, Erin Doherty, Fabien Frankel, Tom Francis, Anjana Vasan, Sindhu Vee, Adjani Salmon and Luke Millington-Drake.
“Casting directors are often the unsung storytellers of the industry. Their vision and skills help orchestrate an ensemble of characters and bring a script to life in every medium,” said Matt Hood, Spotlight Managing Director.
“The CDG Awards have led the way in recognizing this vital craft, and the belated addition of the Academy Award for Casting Direction as a competitive category is a moment in cinematic history. At Spotlight we will always champion the work of brilliant casting directors and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate those winners who have excelled in their field.”
Winners List:
Best Child Casting (All Media)
● WINNER: Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (Film) – Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, Katie Brydon (Associate), Amy Beadel (Ensemble Casting Associate), Melody Gerard (Assistant)
● Children With Cancer UK ‘Milestone Campaign’ (Commercial) – Nicholas Hockaday
● Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre (London Casting, Musical Theatre) – Verity Naughton (Children’s Casting Director)
● The Sound of Music, Chichester Festival Theatre (Regional Theatre) – Verity Naughton (Children’s Casting), Nicholas Hockaday (Children’s Casting Assistant)
● The Witches, Olivier Theatre, National Theatre (Theatre)- Bryony Jarvis-Taylor
Best Casting in a Commercial
● WINNER: Alzheimer’s Society ‘Nobody Asks’ – Aisha Bywaters
● Age UK ‘Know What To Do’ – Leanne Flinn
● Stonewall ‘Ban Conversion Therapy’, Sue Odell
● Children With Cancer ‘Milestone Campaign’ – Nicholas Hockaday
● Vanish ‘Me, My Autism & I’ – Kharmel Cochrane
Best Casting in a Film, sponsored by Apple TV+
● WINNER: The Banshees of Inisherin – Louise Kiely
● All of Us Strangers – Kahleen Crawford, Carla Morris & Eliza Heslop (Associates)
● Barbie – Lucy Bevan, Olivia Grant (Associate), Lucy Downes (Assistant)
● Saltburn – Kharmel Cochrane
● Triangle of Sadness – Jessie Frost (UK Casting)
Best Casting in an Independent Film, sponsored by Independent Talent
● WINNER: Rye Lane – Kharmel Cochrane
● Blue Jean – Shaheen Baig
● Dance First – Olivia Scott-Webb, Ruth O’Dowd (Associate)
● Scrapper – Shaheen Baig
● The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse – Rachel Freck, Jessica Mescall & Nicholas Hockaday (Associates)
Best Casting in a Limited or Single Series, sponsored by Apple TV+
● WINNER: Time (Season 2) – Amy Hubbard, Shannon Dowling-McNulty (Associate)
● A Small Light – Nanw Rowlands
● Black Mirror (Season 6) – Jina Jay
● Somewhere Boy – Catherine Willis, Beatrice Ray (Associate)
● The Long Shadow – Victor Jenkins and Sonia Allam, Seth Mason (Associate), Paushali Banik (Assistant)
Best Casting in Musical Theatre (Inside M25) sponsored by JAG (Jonathan Arun Group)
● WINNER: Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre – Charlotte Sutton
● Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre- Stuart Burt
● Tammy Faye, Almeida Theatre – Natalie Gallacher and Pippa Ailion, Richard Johnston (Associate)
● The Band’s Visit, Donmar Warehouse – Anna Cooper
● The Witches, Olivier Theatre, National Theatre – Bryony Jarvis-Taylor
Best Casting in Regional Theatre sponsored by Conway Van Gelder Grant
● WINNER: Standing at The Sky’s Edge, The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield – Stuart Burt
● A Christmas Carol, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, RSC – Matthew Dewsbury
● A View From The Bridge, Bolton Octagon and Chichester Festival Theatre – Becky Paris
● Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic – Julia Horan
● Cowbois, The Swan Theatre, RSC – Martin Poile
Best Casting in Theatre (Inside M25) sponsored by The Partnership Group
● WINNER: Dear England, Olivier Theatre, National Theatre and The Prince Edward Theatre – Bryony Jarvis-Taylor
● A Little Life, Richmond Theatre and, Harold Pinter Theatre – Julia Horan, Lilly Mackie (Assistant)
● A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre and The Phoenix Theatre – Julia Horan, Lilly Mackie (Assistant)
● My Neighbor Totoro, Barbican Theatre – Hannah Miller, Martin Poile (Associate)
● The Motive and The Cue, Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre and the Noel Coward Theatre – Alastair Coomer
Best Casting in a TV Comedy Series sponsored by Hamilton Hodell
● WINNER: Dreaming Whilst Black – Heather Basten, Peter Noden and Fran Cattaneo (Assistants)
● Extraordinary – Suzanne Crowley and Gilly Poole, Katie Mozumder (Associate)
● Motherland Christmas Special – Sarah Crowe, Ben Marks (Associate)
● Sex Education (Season 4) – Lauren Evans
● Ted Lasso (Season 3) – Theo Park, Laura MacFadden (Associate)
Best Casting in a TV Drama Series sponsored by United Agents
● WINNER: Boiling Point – Shaheen Baig and Jonny Boutwood, Carolyn McLeod (Original Film Casting)
● Andor – Nina Gold and Martin Ware
● Slow Horses (Season 2) – Nina Gold, Melissa Gethin Clarke (Associate)
● Slow Horses (Season 3) – Nina Gold, Melissa Gethin Clarke (Associate)
● The Crown (Season 5) – Robert Sterne, Kate Bone (Associate)