“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Barbie” and “The Holdovers” were among the film winners at the 39th annualCasting SocietyArtios Awards.
The ceremony honors top casting in the year’s films, TV and theater. The celebrations were in person for the first time in three years, taking place in Los Angeles and New York City with hosts Niecy Nash-Betts and comedian Alex Edelman dividing up emcee duties between the cities. There was also a ceremony for casting directors in London.
With the newly added Academy Award for casting, the night certainly was a celebration. Starting in 2026, there will be a prize for best achievement in casting, the culmination of a campaign for recognition that has taken decades.
Ava DuVernay was this year’s recipient of the Lynn Stalmaster Award Career Achievement. While accepting her award, DuVernay took the time to acknowledge the Academy governors who advocated for this new Oscars category: “For me and the fellow directors, the answer was easy. This should happen. It must happen, and we spoke loudly for the casting directors to get this done.”
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She then used the rest of her speech to honor Aisha Coley, the only casting director she has ever worked with. “My passion for the Academy Awards recognizing casting is the same passion that drives how I feel about this award that I have in my hand. That passion is one of admiration and respect for one woman,” DuVernay said, referring to Coley.
After detailing their collaborations across several films, DuVernay recalled working with Coley on “Origin.” She told Coley she only wanted Dalits — also known as untouchables throughout history — to play Dalits in the film.
“She said, ‘Okay. I’ll get right on that. Where would I find Dalit actors?’ … SAG has no Dalit actors registered because Dalits are relegated to the lowest caste, and they don’t act. And so, she had to go to India. She had to scout the Indian diaspora and find that every single person in that film who plays a Dalit is a Dalit. Somehow, she made that happen,” DuVernay said.
View the full winners list below.
FEATURE ANIMATION
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” – Mary Hidalgo
FEATURE BIG BUDGET – COMEDY
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” – Francine Maisler, Melissa Kostenbauder, Betsy Fippinger (Location Casting), Tara Feldstein (Location Casting), Chase Paris (Location Casting), Molly Rose (Associate Casting Director)
FEATURE BIG BUDGET – DRAMA
“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes, Kate Sprance (Associate Casting Director)
FEATURE STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – COMEDY
“The Holdovers” – Susan Shopmaker, Lisa Lobel (Location Casting), Angela Peri (Location Casting), Melissa Morris (Associate Casting Director)
FEATURE STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – DRAMA
“Past Lives” – Ellen Chenoweth, Susanne Scheel
FEATURE LOW BUDGET – COMEDY OR DRAMA
“Memory” – Susan Shopmaker
FEATURE MICRO BUDGET – COMEDY OR DRAMA
“Summoning Sylvia” – Steven Tylor O’Connor
THE ZEITGEIST AWARD
“Barbie” – Lucy Bevan, Olivia Grant (Associate Casting Director)
FILM, NON-THEATRICAL RELEASE
“Fire Island” – Jessica Munks, Andrew Fem (Associate Casting Director)
TELEVISION (SCRIPTED AND UNSCRIPTED), COMMERCIALS,SHORT FILM, SHORT FORM SERIES WINNERS
TELEVISION PILOT AND FIRST SEASON – COMEDY
“The Bear” – Jeanie Bacharach, Mickie Paskal (Location Casting), Jennifer Rudnicke (Location Casting) AJ Links (Location Casting), Alison Goodman (Associate Casting Director)
TELEVISION PILOT AND FIRST SEASON – DRAMA
“The Last of Us” – Victoria Thomas, Corinne Clark (Location Casting), Jennifer Page (Location Casting), Megan Bayliss (Associate Casting Director)
TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY
“Reservation Dogs” – Angelique Midthunder, Chris Freihofer (Location Casting), Stacey Rice (Associate Casting Director), Tara Mazzucca (Associate Casting Director)
TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
“Succession” – Avy Kaufman, Scotty Anderson (Associate Casting Director)
LIMITED SERIES
“Beef” – Charlene Lee, Claire Koonce, Danny Gordon (Associate Casting Director)
LIVE TELEVISION PERFORMANCE, VARIETY OR SKETCH – COMEDY, DRAMA or MUSICAL
“A Black Lady Sketch Show”- Erica A. Hart
REALITY SERIES – STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED
“Queer Eye” Danielle Gervais, Pamela Vallarelli, Jessica Jorgensen, Quinn Fegan
REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”- Goloka Bolte, Ethan Petersen
ANIMATED SERIES
“Big Mouth” – Julie Ashton
CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY PILOT AND SERIES– LIVE ACTION
“American Born Chinese” – Leslie Woo, Julina Baber (Associate Casting Director)
SHORT FILM
“Motherland” – Matthew Glasner
SHORT FORM SERIES
“We’re Doing Good”- Alexa Pereira
COMMERCIALS
“Spark Autism Awareness” – Ken Lazer
THEATRE WINNERS
NEW YORK BROADWAY THEATRE – COMEDY OR DRAMA
“Leopoldstadt” – Jim Carnahan, Maureen Kelleher
NEW YORK BROADWAY THEATRE – MUSICAL
“Into the Woods” – Craig Burns, Geoff Josselson, Bernard Telsey
NEW YORK THEATRE – COMEDY OR DRAMA
“Downstate” – Alaine Alldaffer, JC Clementz
NEW YORK THEATRE – MUSICAL
‘Merrily We Roll Along” – Jim Carnahan, Jason Thinger
LOS ANGELES THEATRE
“The Inheritance: Part 1 & Part 2” Phyllis Schuringa
SPECIAL THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE
“Fiddler on the Roof”- Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Becca McCracken (Location Casting)
REGIONAL THEATRE – TIE
‘A Chorus Line” – Stephanie Klapper
“What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” – David Caparelliotis
THEATRE TOURS
“Six (Boleyn Tour)” – Tara Rubin, Peter Van Dam, Kevin Metzger-Timson
