2023 CDG Award Winners and Nominees

“We are thrilled to be celebrating our fifth annual CDG Awards and once again we are delighted to be back in the room acknowledging our members’ wonderfully diverse and brilliant work. It has been an incredible year for television, film and theatre. We can’t wait to announce our winners and we now have 11 awards; new for this year are the awards for Best Children’s Casting and for Contribution to Casting. Huge congratulations in advance to the winners and to all our nominees”

Sam Jones and Rebecca Wright,  CDG Co-Chairs

 

Our Partner, Spotlight has been connecting performers with roles in theatre, television and film productions since 1927. It’s our role to keep stages and screens filled with talented performers, so we can continue to watch our favourite characters come to life. With studios in London’s West End and a team of people across the world as part of the Talent Systems group, Spotlight is truly at the heart of the industry.


Best Casting in a Television Drama Series sponsored by United Agents

 

WINNER: Daniel Edwards, Lucy Allen (Associate), Tom Payne & Catherine Garlick (Assistants) – Heartstopper

Nina Gold & Lucy Amos – Bad Sisters

Kate Rhodes-James, Gordon Cowell & Gabriella Summer Wolf (Associates) – House of the Dragon

Victor Jenkins, Seth Mason (Associate), Paushali Banik & Laura Macfadden (Assistants) – Sherwood

Nina Gold, Kate Bone (Associate) – Slow Horses (Series 1)


Best Casting in a Television Comedy Series sponsored by Hamilton Hodell

 

WINNER: Rachel Sheridan (Series Casting), Nadira Seecoomar (Taster Pilot) – Big Boys

Catherine Willis, Jessica Mescall (Associate) – Cheaters

Lauren Evans – Sex Education (Series 3)

Rachel Freck, Ceri Bedingfield (Associate) – Ten Percent

Amy Hubbard, Amy Jackson & Heidi Lawry, Abhaya Sethu (Assistant) – The Outlaws (Series 1 and 2)


Best Casting in Theatre (Inside M25) sponsored by The Partnership Group

 

WINNER: Charlotte Sutton – Our Generation, National Theatre & Chichester Festival Theatre

Amy Ball & Arthur Carrington – Jerusalem, Apollo Theatre

Heather Basten – Red Pitch, Bush Theatre

Alastair Coomer – The Normal Heart, National Theatre (Olivier)

Serena Hill – To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre


Best Casting in Musical Theatre (Inside M25) Sponsored by JAG (Jonathan Arun Group)

 

WINNER: Stuart Burt – Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

 

Jill Green, Nicholas Hockaday (Assistant), Verity Naughton (Child Casting) – 101 Dalmatians, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre

Natalie Gallacher, Richard Johnston (Associate Casting Director) – Legally Blonde,Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Jacob Sparrow – Oklahoma!, Young Vic

Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher, Katherine Skene & Richard Johnston (Assistants) – Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre


Best Casting in a Regional Theatre in Partnership with Factory International

 

WINNER: Stuart Burt, Olivia Barr (Associate) – East is East, Birmingham Rep, National Theatre & Chichester Festival Theatre

 

Jill Green – Crazy For You, Chichester Festival Theatre

Rosie Pearson & James Pearson – Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, UK Tour

David Grindrod – Into the Woods, Theatre Royal Bath and Scenario Two Ltd

Christopher Worrall, Stuart Burt (Casting Consultant) – Rock / Paper / Scissors, Sheffield Theatres


Best Casting in a Film Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery

 

WINNER: Kahleen Crawford, Carla Morris (Assistant) – The Lost Daughter

 

Lucy Bevan & Emily Brockmann, Katie Brydon (Associate) – Belfast

Kate Rhodes-James, Gordon Cowell & Gabriella Summer Wolf (Associates) – House of Gucci

Debbie McWilliams & Jemima McWilliams – No Time to Die

Amy Hubbard, Olivia Laydon & Heidi Lawry (Associates) – Spencer


Best Casting in an Independent Film sponsored by Independent Talent Group

 

WINNER: Carolyn McLeod, Matt Sheppard (Assistant) – Boiling Point

 

Shaheen Baig – Ali & Ava

Catherine Willis – Brian & Charles

Amy Hubbard, Olivia Laydon (Associate) – Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Shaheen Baig, Jonny Boutwood (Associate) – Pirates


Best Casting in a Commercial

 

WINNER: Heather Basten – NHS, ‘We are the NHS’

 

Sue Odell – Alzheimer’s Society, ‘It’s Not Called Getting Old’

Michael Cox & Thom Hammond – Coca Cola Christmas, ‘Real Magic’

Anna McAuley – Macmillan, ‘Whatever You Need’

Claire Curry – Vets4Pets, ‘Thank You’


Best Casting in a Limited or Single Series Sponsored by Netflix

 

WINNER: Nina Gold & Martin Ware – This is Going to Hurt

 

Sarah Crowe & Xanthe Spencer-Davidson – A Very British Scandal

Lucy Bevan & Emily Brockmann, Katie Brydon (Associate) – Anatomy of a Scandal

Nina Gold & Lucy Amos – Landscapers

Daniel Edwards, Lucy Allen (Associate), Catherine Garlick & Tom Payne (Assistants) – Showtrial (BBC)


Best Child Casting (all Media) in Partnership with AYPA (Agents of Young Performers Association)

 

WINNER: Lucy Bevan & Emily Brockmann, Katie Brydon (Associate) – Belfast

Verity Naughton, Nicholas Hockaday (Assistant) – Bugsy Malone The Musical, UK Tour

Verity Naughton, Nicholas Hockaday (Assistant) – Frozen The Musical, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Aisha Bywaters – My Name is Leon

Verity Naughton, Nicholas Hockaday (Assistant) – School of Rock The Musical, UK Tour

The Contribution to Casting Award has only been awarded once before in the history of the Awards. It is a special award that recognises a contribution to casting that goes above and beyond. This year’s recipient is somebody who has nurtured and supported the careers of young artists, many of whom have gone on to do great things on stage and screen.

We are very grateful to Conway Van Gelder Grant for sponsoring this award.