Casting Guild of Australia reveals 2026 CGA Awards nominees – The Casting Guild of Australia has announced the nominees for the 2026 CGA Awards, with 36 nominations spanning film, television, theatre, short films and advertising.
The winners will be revealed at an invite-only ceremony at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday 27 November. Australian performers Joel Creasey and Kat Stewart will host the event.
For television viewers, the nominations highlight the casting work behind programmes including Deadloch, Ghosts: Australia, Colin From Accounts, The Airport Chaplain, My Brilliant Career and High Country: What Lies Beneath. The list also shows how casting directors move across drama, comedy, factual storytelling and commercial campaigns.
CGA Awards recognise casting across every medium
The CGA Awards are the southern hemisphere’s only awards ceremony dedicated to casting across multiple screen and performance formats. The guild says the event is designed to recognise the role casting directors play in connecting performers with Australian and international opportunities.
CGA president Thea McLeod congratulated the nominees and the guild members who submitted work.
The CGA is so proud of our members and the wonderful work they do. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted this year, it’s incredible to see the quality and range of work put forward. A huge congratulations to all of our nominees! There is so much heart, care and creativity that goes into casting, and these nominations recognise the dedication and talent behind that work. Our nominees should feel very proud of what they’ve achieved. It’s wonderful to see their work recognised, and we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone!
Thea McLeod, CGA President
Full list of 2026 CGA Awards nominees
Achievement in Casting
- The People vs Robodebt — Anousha Zarkesh
- Facing the Numbers — Daniel Berini
- Homebodies — Danny Long and Ryan Madden
- The Hairy Marys — Sarah Price
Best Casting in a Feature Film
- Boss Cat — Anousha Zarkesh
- Wolfram — Anousha Zarkesh
- Leviticus — Nikki Barrett
- The Fox — Nikki Barrett
Best Casting in a TV Miniseries / Telemovie
- The Killings at Parrish Station — Anousha Zarkesh
- Dalliance — Kirsty McGregor
- Goolagong — Nathan Lloyd
- My Brilliant Career — Nikki Barrett
Best Casting in a Short Film
- Souvenir — Danny Long
- Saint Valentine — Danny Long
- Note from a Gutter Boy — Georgia Rickards
- The Worm — Natalie Wall
Best Casting in a Theatre Production
- The Shepherd’s Hut — Chantelle Iemma
- Fiddler on the Roof — Daisy Hicks and Serena Hill
- Equus — Daniel Cottier
- Retrograde — Janine Snape
Best Casting in a TV Comedy
- Deadloch Season 2 — Alison Telford and Kate Leonard
- Dog Park — Alison Telford and Kate Leonard
- Ghosts: Australia — Marianne Jade
- Colin From Accounts Season 3 — Kirsty McGregor and Stevie Ray
Best Casting in a TV Drama
- Treasure & Dirt — Anousha Zarkesh
- The Airport Chaplain — Jane Norris
- The F Ward — Kirsty McGregor and Stevie Ray
- High Country: What Lies Beneath — Nathan Lloyd
Best Casting in a TVC
- Stan, “Enter the Chat” — Danny Long
- ABC iview, “We’ve Got a Story for You” — Danny Long
- Audible, “Stories That Speak to You” — Daniel Berini
- Optus, “There’s Always a Way” — Natalie Jane Harvie
- MLC, “The Heist” — Natalie Jane Harvie
- GWM, “Be More Tank” — Peta Dermatis
Best Casting in a TVC Community
- “My Kind of Woolies” — Daniel Berini
- Colgate, “Justin’s Story – Smile Strong” — Natalie Jane Harvie and Gigi-Monique Diaz
- Seasol, “Dirty Old Secrets” — Natalie Jane Harvie
- Lifeblood, “The Unlikely Version” — Peta Dermatis
- KitKat, “F1 Superfan” — Stephanie Pringle and Alison Fowler
- NAATI x SBS, “We All Deserve to Be Understood” — Stevie Ray
Rising Stars announcement still to come
The 2026 CGA Rising Stars will also be presented during the awards night. The guild plans to announce this year’s recipients in mid-November, ahead of the Melbourne ceremony.
The awards are supported by Casting Networks and Showcast. Their involvement continues the event’s focus on the casting profession and the pathways that connect performers, casting directors and productions.
The 2026 ceremony follows the guild’s earlier confirmation of Creasey and Stewart as hosts. The pair will guide the presentation of awards across all nine listed categories, culminating in the announcement of this year’s winners.
For more background, read TV Central’s earlier story on the 2026 CGA Awards ceremony and hosts. More information is available from the official Casting Guild of Australia website.
