The Casting Guild of Australia has unveiled the nominees for its 2026 awards, with “Deadloch,” “Colin From Accounts,” “My Brilliant Career” and “Wolfram” among the productions recognised for their casting.
This year’s winners will be announced at a ceremony at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, November 27th, hosted by comedian Joel Creasey and actor Kat Stewart.
Anousha Zarkesh is among the most nominated casting directors this year, earning recognition across several categories, including Best Casting in a Feature Film for “Boss Cat” and “Wolfram,” Best Casting in a TV Miniseries/Telemovie for “The Killings at Parrish Station,” and Best Casting in a TV Drama for “Treasure & Dirt.”
Nikki Barrett also picked up multiple nominations, with “Leviticus” and “The Fox” competing in the feature film category, alongside “My Brilliant Career” in the miniseries category.
In television comedy, the second season of “Deadloch” and third season of “Colin From Accounts” will compete against “Dog Park” and “Ghosts: Australia.” Meanwhile, the TV drama category includes “Treasure & Dirt,” “The Airport Chaplain,” “The F Ward” and “High Country: What Lies Beneath.”
See all the nominees below.
The annual awards recognise the work of casting professionals across film, television, theatre, advertising and other screen productions, highlighting the role casting directors play in bringing Australian stories and performers to audiences locally and internationally.
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CGA president Thea McLeod congratulated this year’s nominees, acknowledging the work behind the productions.
“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!”
The ceremony will also honour the 2026 CGA Rising Stars, with recipients expected to be revealed in mid-November.
2026 Casting Guild of Australia Award Nominees:
Achievement in Casting
“The People vs Robodebt” – Anousha Zarkesh
“Facing the Numbers” – Daniel Berini
“Homebodies” – Danny Long & 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 & Serena Hill
“Equus” – Daniel Cottier
“Retrograde” – Janine Snape
Best Casting in a TV Comedy
“Deadloch” Season 2 – Alison Telford & Kate Leonard
“Dog Park” – Alison Telford & Kate Leonard
“Ghosts: Australia” – Marianne Jade
“Colin From Accounts” Season 3 – Kirsty McGregor & Stevie Ray
Best Casting in a TV Drama
“Treasure & Dirt” – Anousha Zarkesh
“The Airport Chaplain” – Jane Norris
“The F Ward” – Kirsty McGregor & 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 & Gigi-Monique Diaz
Seasol “Dirty Old Secrets” – Natalie Jane Harvie
Lifeblood “The Unlikely Version” – Peta Dermatis
KitKat “F1 Superfan” – Stephanie Pringle & Alison Fowler
NAATI x SBS “We All Deserve to Be Understood” – Stevie Ray