Casting Society (CSA) has unveiled the film nominees, special honorees and set the hosts for the 41st Annual Artios Awards. On the latter score, Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”), Emmy Award winner Jeff Hiller (“Somebody Somewhere”) and Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Jessica Gunning (“Baby Reindeer”) have been named hosts of the Los Angeles, New York and London ceremonies, respectively. The ceremonies will be held at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, the Edison Ballroom in New York City and One Moorgate Place in London on Thursday, February 26.
Among the film nominees are “Wicked: For Good,” “Sinners,” “Bugonia,” “Marty Supreme,” “Blue Moon” and “Sentimental Value.”
First held in 1985, the annual awards celebration honors the contributions of casting professionals in film, television (both scripted and unscripted), short films, commercials, and theater. Additionally, special honorees are chosen for their contributions to the craft. Nominees and winners are selected by members of the Casting Society.
Here’s a rundown of the nominees for the 41st Annual Artios Awards in the film and London theatre categories, as well as special honorees:
FEATURE: BIG BUDGET: COMEDY
JAY KELLY: Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold, Associate Casting Director: Matthew Glasner, Location Casting Directors: Francesco Vedovati, Barbara Giordani
MATERIALISTS: Douglas Aibel, Associate Casting Director: Matthew Glasner
THE NAKED GUN: Carmen Cuba, Associate Casting Director: Judith Sunga, Location Casting Directors: Tara Feldstein Bennett, Chase Paris
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME: Douglas Aibel (US Casting), Jina Jay (UK Casting), Alexandra Montag (German Casting), Associate Casting Director: Matthew Glasner
WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY: Mary Vernieu, Bret Howe, Location Casting Director: Martin Ware, Location Associate Casting Director: Olivia Brittain
WICKED: FOR GOOD: Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Associate Casting Director: Ryan Bernard Tymensky, Location Casting Director: Tamsyn Manson
FEATURE: BIG BUDGET: DRAMA
BUGONIA: Jennifer Venditti, Associate Casting Director: Alan Scott Neal
F1: THE MOVIE: Lucy Bevan, Emily Brockmann, Associate Casting Director: Katie Brydon, Location Casting Directors: Tara Feldstein Bennett, Chase Paris, Tara Mazzucca
FRANKENSTEIN: Robin D. Cook, Associate Casting Director: Jonathan Oliveira
HAMNET: Nina Gold, Associate Casting Director: Lucy Amos
MARTY SUPREME: Jennifer Venditti, Associate Casting Director: Alan Scott Neal, Location Casting Director: Ko Iwagami
SINNERS: Francine Maisler, Associate Casting Directors: Molly Rose, Amber Wakefield, Location Casting Director: Meagan Lewis
FEATURE: ANIMATED
ELIO: Natalie Lyon, Kevin Reher, Kate Hansen-Birnbaum, Associate Casting Director: Lexi Diamond
THE BAD GUYS 2: Christi Soper Hilt, Associate Casting Director: Lara Boushehri
ZOOTOPIA 2: Grace C. Kim
FEATURE: STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT: COMEDY
ETERNITY: Tiffany Mak, Chelsea Ellis Bloch, Marisol Roncali
FRIENDSHIP: Melissa DeLizia
OH, HI!: Kate Geller, Associate Casting Director: Ross Shenker
RENTAL FAMILY: Kei Kawamura
THE WEDDING BANQUET: Jenny Jue, Location Casting Director: Candice Elzinga
TWINLESS: Jessica Munks, Location Casting Director: Simon Max Hill
FEATURE: STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT: DRAMA
BLUE MOON: Olivia Scott-Webb, Associate Casting Director: Simon Higgins
ELEANOR THE GREAT: Ellen Lewis, Kate Sprance, Associate Casting Director: Leah Shapiro
NUREMBERG: John Papsidera, Anna Kennedy, Associate Casting Director: Emily Bohbrink, Location Casting Director: Francesco Vedovati
PILLION: Kahleen Crawford
SENTIMENTAL VALUE: Avy Kaufman
TRAIN DREAMS: Avy Kaufman, Location Casting Director: Nike Imoru
FEATURE: INTERNATIONAL
KOKUHO: Masunobu Motokawa
SOUND OF FALLING: Karimah El-Giamal
THE FISHERMAN: Mawuko Kuadzi
FEATURE: LOW BUDGET: COMEDY OR DRAMA
ALL THAT WE LOVE: Charlene Lee, Associate Casting Director: Danny Gordon
BOB TREVINO LIKES IT: Kate Geller, Associate Casting Director: Ross Shenker
GRIFFIN IN SUMMER: Betsy Ware Fippinger, Location Casting Director: Erica Arvold
PLAINCLOTHES: Bernard Telsey, Adam Caldwell, Amelia Rasche McCarthy
SORRY, BABY: Jessica Kelly, Location Casting Directors: Lisa Lobel, Angela Peri, Location Associate Casting Director: Melissa Morris
WE STRANGERS: Erica A. Hart, Location Casting Director: Lauren Port
LONDON THEATRE
MY MASTER BUILDER: Sophie Holland
OEDIPUS: Jim Carnahan, Associate Casting Director: Liz Fraser
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: Jill Green, Associate Casting Director: Olivia Laydon
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST: Alastair Coomer
THE LITTLE FOXES: Jessica Ronane
TITANIQUE: James Pearson, Rosie Pearson
CSA previously announced the television (scripted and unscripted), theater, commercials, short film, and short-form series nominees.
Special honorees
Honorees for the 41st Annual Artios Awards, which will be presented at the ceremonies are:
The Lynn Stalmaster Award for Career Achievement will be presented to Ayo Davis. Davis is president of Disney Branded Television, the unit of Disney Entertainment Television that creates premium original storytelling for kids and families In this role, Davis oversees the group’s expansive slate of live-action, animated and short-form entertainment for Disney+, Disney Jr., Disney Channel and digital platforms. Since being named to the position in 2021, Davis has led one of the industry’s most successful and award-winning slates for kids, including preschool favorites “Bluey,” the No. 1 streaming series of 2025, “Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends,” “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+” and “SuperKitties”; kid and tween hits including “Big City Greens,” “Phineas and Ferb” and “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place”; fan-favorite movie franchises “Descendants” and “Zombies”; and global family tentpoles like “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” A 23-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, Davis’ prior roles included executive vice president, Creative Development and Strategy at Disney Branded Television, from 2020-2021; and before that, she was executive vice president, Talent and Casting at ABC Entertainment and Disney+.
The Marion Dougherty New York Apple Award will be presented to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of the Broadway community, unites theater lovers to make a lifesaving and life-affirming difference for people facing HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses across the country. Broadway Cares provides annual support to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., which deliver lifesaving medication, healthy meals, counseling and emergency assistance to those in need. Broadway Cares also is the single largest supporter of the safety net of programs at the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), including The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, the HIV/AIDS Initiative and the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative. At times of crisis, Broadway Cares awards one-time humanitarian grants to provide emergency aid across the US and around the world.
The Hoyt Bowers Award will be presented to casting director Julie Ashton. The award is for excellence in casting and honors the recipient’s body of work and outstanding contribution to the casting profession. Ashton is an Emmy-nominated casting director and the founder of Julie Ashton Casting. Casting Society previously honored Julie with seven Artios Awards for her work on the longest-running scripted original series on Netflix, “Big Mouth” and “Bob’s Burgers,” on FOX. She has been recognized with 24 additional Artios Award nominations for series including “Central Park,” “2 Broke Girls,” and “Partners.” She received her Emmy nomination in 2023 for Outstanding Casting for a Live Action Program for “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Her other credits include: “Will & Grace,” “Mid-Century Modern,” “Psych,” “Wrecked,” “The Mick,” “MADtv,” “Great News” and “Reno 911!” Her feature film credits include “The Internship,” “The Rocker,” “Reno 911! Miami” and “The Bob’s Burgers Movie.” Other animation credits include “The Great North,” “F is for Family,” “Everybody Still Hates Chris,” “Lil Kev,” “Grimsburg,” “Hit-Monkey,” “Exploding Kittens,” “The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy,” “Human Resources,” “Beavis & Butthead,” “The Ren & Stimpy Show,” and the upcoming “Ted” animated series.
The Rosalie Joseph Humanitarian Award, given for outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes that have in turn supported the casting community, will be presented to former CSA administrator and casting professional Laura Adler. Adler is the daughter of the late actor and theatre director Jerry Adler, the sister of talent agent Alisa, writer Emily and Aunt to actor Joe. One could say it was her destiny to work in another branch of the industry. Adler began her career in casting in 1989 and for the next 16 years she worked as an assistant, associate and casting director. In 2005 she joined the CSA steering committee that worked tirelessly to finally bring long deserved pension and health benefits to the hardworking casting community. In 2014, she was hired by CSA (courtesy of Felicia Fasano and Megan McConnell), as the organization‘s new administrator spending the next 10 years serving the global casting community. Adler retired from the position in 2024.
The Capelier-Shaw Award for Excellence in Casting will be presented to Kate Rhodes James. Rhodes James is one of the UK’s best-known casting directors who has worked across film and television for over twenty years. She has extensively worked as casting director alongside Ridley Scott on films including “Gladiator 2,” “Napoleon,” “House Of Gucci,” “The Last Duel” and the upcoming Ridley Scott film “Dog Stars” featuring Jacob Elordi. Her extensive credits include: “Believe Me” for ITV. “The Terror,” “Raised by Wolves,” “House Of The Dragon,” “Prime Target,” “My Lady Jane,” “Interview With The Vampire,” “Line Of Duty,” “Bodyguard” and “Sherlock.” Upcoming projects include “Alien: Earth” for FX/Hulu, “121212” for Apple TV and the upcoming series “Kennedy” for Netflix.
The Global Impact Award will be presented to GAP Workshops. Presented by the Global Chapter of CSA, this award recognizes individuals or organizations internationally who have made a positive impact to the casting profession through innovative and meaningful contributions within the global entertainment industry. GAP Workshops is a free-of-charge professional development program created to support and advance trans actors, particularly those based in the UK, in entering or re-entering the entertainment industry. The workshop was founded by casting director duo Lucy Allen and Tom Payne, also known as Allen & Payne Casting, in response to the lack of accessible, industry-facing opportunities for trans performers. GAP Workshops provide expert-led sessions on audition techniques, self-taping, and navigating professional environments, offering attendees invaluable guidance and insight from multiple industry perspectives.
The Los Angeles Associate Spotlight Award will be presented to Leslie Wasserman. Wasserman is a casting professional for scripted film and television. She served as the casting director for “Together Together,” “Barden and Sarah Start a Pandemic,” the short film “Okay” and the documentary “For Madmen Only.” Other recent work includes “Ballard,” “The Last Thing He Told Me,” “Smile 2” and “Lost on a Mountain in Maine.”’ Wasserman also casts for the Sundance Lab’s Director’s Lab and is a proud member of Casting Society and the Teamsters Negotiating Committee.
The New York Associate Spotlight Award will be presented to Dustin Presley. Presley is an Artios award-winning Associate casting director based in Atlanta who works on film & TV projects alongside casting director Erica Arvold. A graduate of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of the Performing Arts and NY’s American Musical & Dramatic Academy, he interned with both Donna DeSeta Casting and Barden/Schnee Casting before becoming a casting assistant with Arvold Casting. His credits include “Scarpetta,” “Lowndes County,” “Regretting You,” “Slanted Color Book,” “Reasonable Doubt,” “The Bondsman,” “Dopesick,” “Tell Me Lies,” “Mike,” “The Game (Reboot),” “Swagger,” “Freaky,” “My Best Friend’s Exorcism,” “They/Them,” “The Black Phone” and “Red Notice.”
