The Casting Director Guild Awards: The Winners Announced!

Casting directors behind Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Bodyguard, Hamilton and Cadbury Advert honoured at the inaugural CDG Casting Awards

The UK’s top Casting Directors were honoured tonight, Tuesday 12 February 2019, at the inaugural CDG Casting Awards presented in partnership with Spotlight.

Taking place at Ham Yard Hotel London, the event was hosted by Russell Tovey, with awards presented by Jade Anouka, Gemma Arterton, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Lucy Boynton, Natalie Dormer, Claire Foy, David Gyasi, Andrew Garfield, Richard E. Grant, Lisa Hammond, Eleanor Matsuura and John Simm. Attended by leading casting directors, producers and directors from across the entertainment industry, this new event was the first UK Awards ceremony to celebrate the significant achievements of casting in the fields of Theatre, TV, Film and Commercials.

Scooping the awards in the four lead categories were Debbie McWilliams for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Kate Rhodes James for Bodyguard, Paul Wooller, Felicity French and Trevor Jackson at Cameron Mackintosh for Hamilton and Michael Cox and Thom Hammond for ‘Mum’s Birthday’ Cadbury commercial.

Casting Director Victor Jenkins, Chair of the CDG Board and Awards Committee commented:

We are thrilled to be hosting our very first CDG Awards, and to be able to celebrate the field of casting amongst our peers and colleagues. Casting is a crucial part of the creative process and we want to celebrate not just our craft, but also the work of all the brilliant collaborators that are part of the alchemy of casting. We hope that this is the beginning of wider recognition for Casting Directors within the industry and will lead to the creation of a Casting category within other industry ceremonies.

Two special awards were presented to honour Outstanding Contribution to the Casting Profession. Charlotte Bevan, Director of the Creative Diversity Project at the National Theatre, was commended for her tireless determination to advance inclusivity and representation and to provoke as well as enable theatre makers to effect change.

Richard Cook, talent agent and creator of the Subtitle Film Festival was presented with the Award for Outstanding Contribution to International Casting. Richard’s huge love of foreign films led him to establish the Subtitle Film Festival in Southern Ireland 8 years ago, for European actors and casting directors to meet. This unique event has generated an abundance of new collaborations and actors being cast in all manner of projects.  

The full list of nominees and winners is:

CDG Award for Best Casting in a Theatre production sponsored by The Stage

WINNER: Paul Wooller, Felicity French and Trevor Jackson for Hamilton (Victoria Palace, Cameron Mackintosh Ltd)

  • Alastair Coomer for The York Realist (Donmar Warehouse)
  • Sophie Parrott for An Octoroon(National Theatre, Orange Tree Theatre transfer)
  • Wendy Spon and Jacob Sparrow for Follies (National Theatre)
  • Charlotte Suttonfor Caroline or Change (Hampstead Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre transfer).

CDG Award for Best Casting in a TV production sponsored by United Agents

WINNER: Kate Rhodes James Casting for Bodyguard (BBC1 & Netflix)

  • Kharmel Cochrane for The End of the F**king World (Netflix)
  • Tracey Gillham for Inside No. 9 Series 4 (BBC2)
  • Julie Harkin for Kiri (Channel 4)
  • Jina Jay for Black Mirror Season 4 (Netflix)

CDG Award for Best Casting in a Film Sponsored by Independent Talent

WINNER: Debbie McWilliams for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

  • Lucy Bevan for Murder on the Orient Express
  • David Grindrod, Stephen Crockett, Will Burton for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Musical Ensemble Casting
  • Julie Harkin for Beast
  • Jina Jay for The Darkest Hour

CDG Award for Best Casting in a Commercial sponsored by New Wonder Management

WINNER: Michael Cox and Thom Hammond at Hammond Cox Casting for Cadbury ‘Mum’s Birthday’

  • Martin Gibbons and Dan Hubbard for Waitrose ‘Snowed In’
  • Martin Gibbons for McCains ‘We Are Family 2’
  • Orla Maxwell for Jaguar EPace ‘Mistress of Mischief’
  • Belinda Norcliffe and Heidi Lawry for Walkers ‘70th Birthday’
  • Sasha Robertson Casting for Unstereotype Alliance ‘Audition for an Advert’
  • Sasha Robertson Casting for ICRC ‘Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare’

CDG Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Casting Profession sponsored by EON Productions presented to Charlotte Bevan, Director of the Creative Diversity Project at the National Theatre

CDG Award for Outstanding Contribution to International Casting presented to Richard Cook, talent agent and creator of the Subtitle Film Festival

These awards in partnership with Spotlight are sponsored by Independent Talent Group, United Agents, EON Productions, Troika, The Stage and New Wonder Management. Congratulations again to all winners!