Oscar 2026: Winners at the Casting Society of America Awards

Oscar 2026: Winners at the Casting Society of America Awards

The Casting Society of America has announced the winners of its 2026 casting awards for film and television. These awards honour outstanding achievement in casting — a key part of bringing great performances and ensembles to life on screen.

Feature Film – Big Budget: Comedy

• Winner: Jay Kelly for casting *Douglas Aibel* (with Nina Gold and Matthew Glasner) — recognised for excellence in large-scale comedic casting.
• Other Nominees included material from *Materialists*, *The Naked Gun*, *The Phoenician Scheme*, and *Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery*.

Feature Film – Big Budget: Drama

• Winner: *Bugonia*’s casting team led by Jennifer Venditti (with associate casting by Alan Scott Neal).
• Other notable nominees included *F1*, *Frankenstein*, *Hamnet*, *Marty Supreme*, and *Sinners*, recognising top casting work across major dramatic productions.

Feature Film – Animation

• Winner: *Elio*’s casting team — honoured for excellence in animated feature casting.
• Other nominees included *The Bad Guys 2* and *Zootopia 2* among others.

Other Categories (Selected Winners & Nominees)

The CSA awards also recognised outstanding casting work in independent features, studio or independent dramas and comedies, international films, and low-budget projects. Each category highlights the importance of finding the right actors to bring characters and stories to life on screen. 

Winners in casting often gain momentum for further industry recognition and this year’s awards highlight excellent work on films that are also key contenders in the wider awards season conversation.