Joel Creasey and Kat Stewart to Host 2026 Casting Guild of Australia Awards

Joel Creasey and Kat Stewart will host the 2026 Casting Guild of Australia Awards, with Emmy-nominated Australian director Daina Reid joining the ceremony as a special guest.

The annual awards will return to Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, November 27th, recognising casting across film, television, commercials, theatre, new media and reality. Nominees are expected to be announced in late October.

Reid, whose directing credits include “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Australian psychological thriller “Run Rabbit Run,” will attend as this year’s special guest.

Creasey and Stewart will take hosting duties for the invite-only ceremony, celebrating the work of Australia’s casting community.

“I would never turn down the opportunity to remind a room of casting directors how proficient I am in reading a script,” Creasey said. “Especially when it’s alongside an icon like Kat Stewart. So I look forward to being the Nina to her Billie Proudman for the night. And cornering lots of influential people and running them through my extensive CV. Yes, I’ll be bringing headshots.”

Stewart added, “Casting directors are a lifeline for actors, agents and producers alike. I am honoured and excited to be taking part in this year’s Casting Guild Awards to celebrate an incredible year of work!”

Casting Guild of Australia president Thea McLeod said Reid, Creasey and Stewart were “three extraordinary people who are so respected and loved within our industry.”

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“It feels like a wonderful way to celebrate Australian casting and the incredible talent we work with every day,” McLeod said.

Launched in 2015, the CGA Awards are billed as the only casting awards ceremony in the Southern Hemisphere and recognise work across nine categories, including feature film, short film, television comedy and drama, telemovies and miniseries, theatre and television commercials. The ceremony also presents an Achievement in Casting award.

The guild will announce its 2026 Rising Stars in early November, with the selected emerging performers to be interviewed by Australian casting directors across the CGA’s social channels ahead of the awards.

Last year’s Rising Stars were Clare Hughes, Ioane Sa’ula, Joseph Zada, Lily Latorre, Roxie Mohebbi, Stacy Clausen, Tanzyn Crawford, Tharanya Tharan, Xavier Molyneux and Zoe Phillips.

The 2026 Casting Guild of Australia Awards will take place at Arts Centre Melbourne on November 27th.