Joel Creasey and Kat Stewart will host the 2026 Casting Guild of Australia Awards, with Emmy-nominated director Daina Reid joining the ceremony as a special guest.
The annual awards will return to Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, November 27, with nominees expected to be announced in late October.
Creasey and Stewart take over hosting duties from Ed Kavalee and Dilruk Jayasinha, who hosted last year’s ceremony alongside special guest Tony Ayres.
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Creasey said he was looking forward to joining Stewart for the ceremony.
“I would never turn down the opportunity to remind a room of casting directors how proficient I am in reading a script. 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 said casting directors were a lifeline for actors, agents and producers alike.
“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!”
Reid’s credits include The Handmaid’s Tale and Run Rabbit Run. She was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale.
CGA President Thea McLeod said the trio were all highly respected within the industry.
“We are so excited to have Daina joining us as our special guest, and Joel and Kat hosting this year’s Awards.”
“They are three extraordinary people who are so respected and loved within our industry.”
“It feels like a wonderful way to celebrate Australian casting and the incredible talent we work with every day.”
Established in 2013, the Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) represents casting directors working across film, television, television commercials, theatre, new media and reality.
The CGA Awards were launched in 2015, recognising the work of casting professionals across the industry.
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2026 CGA Award categories
- Best Casting in a Feature Film
- Best Casting in a Short Film
- Best Casting in a TV Comedy
- Best Casting in a TV Drama
- Best Casting in a Telemovie & Miniseries
- Achievement in Casting
- Best Casting in a Theatre Production
- Best Casting in a TVC – Community
- Best Casting in a TVC
The CGA will announce its 2026 Rising Stars in early November, with the emerging performers to be profiled by leading Australian casting directors across the guild’s social channels ahead of the invite-only awards night.
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 be held at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, November 27.
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