‘Saturday Night,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘Emilia Pérez’ Among 40th Annual Artios Award Nominees

Casting Society (CSA) announced today three-time Emmy® Award nominee Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”) as the host of the 40th Annual Artios Awards in Los Angeles, Emmy® Award winner and Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Independent Spirit Award nominee Jessica Gunning (“Baby Reindeer”) as host of the London ceremony and comedian Jordan Carlos as host of the New York ceremony. The ceremonies will be held at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, White City House in London and the Edison Ballroom in New York on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The annual awards celebration honors the contributions of casting professionals in film, television (scripted and unscripted), commercials and theater.

“As we commemorate the 40th Annual Artios Awards, we are delighted to announce Janelle, Jessica, and Jordan as the hosts for our global ceremonies. Their remarkable wit, talent, and dynamic presence perfectly complement what promises to be an extraordinary series of evenings celebrating our community. Additionally, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the exceptional film nominees whose outstanding contributions continue to advance the art of storytelling,” stated Destiny Lilly, President,   Casting Society.

In addition, CSA has announced the nominees for the 40th Annual Artios Awards in the film categories as follows:

FEATURE: BIG BUDGET: COMEDY

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE: Sophie Holland. Location Casting Directors: Angela Peri, Lisa Lobel. Location Associate Casting Director: Melissa Morris

CHALLENGERS: Francine Maisler. Associate Casting Director: Molly Rose

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Sarah Halley Finn. Associate Casting Directors: Jacqueline Gallagher, Jordyn Gregory. Location Casting Directors: Lucy Bevan, Emily Brockmann. Location Associate Casting Director: Katie Brydon

NIGHTBITCH: Douglas Aibel. Associate Casting Director: Matthew Glasner

SATURDAY NIGHT: John Papsidera

WICKED: PART I: Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield. Associate Casting Director: Ryan Bernard Tymensky. Location Casting Director: Tamsyn Manson

FEATURE: BIG BUDGET: DRAMA 

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN: Yesi Ramirez. Location Casting Directors: Rori Bergman, Karlee Fomalont. Location Associate Casting Director: Kate Sprance

BLITZ: Nina Gold. Associate Casting Director: Lucy Amos

CIVIL WAR: Francine Maisler. Associate Casting Director: Amber Wakefield. Location Casting Directors: Meagan Lewis, Rebecca Carfagna

DUNE: PART TWO: Francine Maisler. Associate Casting Directors: Kathy Driscoll-Mohler, Molly Rose. Location Casting Director: Dixie Chassay

GLADIATOR II: Kate Rhodes James

QUEER: Jessica Ronane

FEATURE: ANIMATION

INSIDE OUT 2: Natalie Lyon, Kevin Reher, Kate Hansen-Birnbaum. Associate Casting Director: Lexi Diamond

MOANA 2: Grace C. Kim

MUFASA: THE LION KING: Francine Maisler, Molly Rose

SPELLBOUND: Jason Henkel

THE WILD ROBOT: Christi Soper Hilt

FEATURE: INTERNATIONAL FILM (*NEW CATEGORY)

EMILIA PEREZ: Carla Hool. Associate Casting Director: Susan Putnam

JULIE KEEPS QUIET: Sien Josephine Teijssen

KNEECAP: Carla Stronge

SAMIA: Cassandra Han

THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS: Shakyra Dowling

THE SETTLERS: Jessie Frost

TOUCH: Yoko Narahashi. Location Casting Director: Xanthe Spencer-Davidson

FEATURE: STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT: COMEDY

A DIFFERENT MAN: Maribeth Fox. Associate Casting Director: Kimberly Ostroy

A REAL PAIN: Jessica Kelly

EZRA: Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee. Associate Casting Directors: Roya Semnanian, Rachel Goldman

HIT MAN: Vicky Boone. Associate Casting Director: Liz Kelley

MY OLD ASS: Douglas Aibel. Associate Casting Director: Matthew Glasner

THELMA: Jamie Ember

FEATURE: STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT: DRAMA

CONCLAVE: Nina Gold, Martin Ware. Location Casting Director: Francesco Vedovati, Barbara Giordani

HERETIC: Carmen Cuba. Associate Casting Director: Charley Medigovich. Location Casting Director: Tiffany Mak

LEE: Lucy Bevan, Olivia Grant

NICKEL BOYS: Victoria Thomas. Associate Casting Director: Jennifer Yoo. Location Casting Director: Meagan Lewis

SEPTEMBER 5: Nancy Foy, Lucinda Syson, Simone Bär. Associate Casting Director: Natasha Vincent. Location Casting Director: Juliette Ménager

THE APPRENTICE: Carmen Cuba, Stephanie Gorin. Associate Casting Director: Brendan Wilcocks

FEATURE: LOW BUDGET: COMEDY OR DRAMA

EMPIRE WAIST: Rori Bergman. Associate Casting Director: Karlee Fomalont

FANCY DANCE: Stacey Rice. Location Casting Director: Chris Freihofer

JANET PLANET: Jessica Kelly

OMNI LOOP: Kate Geller, Taylor Williams. Associate Casting Director: Ross Shenker

THE GRADUATES: Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee. Associate Casting Directors: Roya Semnanian, Rachel Goldman. Location Casting Director: Jeff Johnson

TOKYO COWBOY: Emily Schweber

YOUR MONSTER: Scotty Anderson

CSA previously announced the television (scripted and unscripted), theater, commercials, short film and short form series nominees located HERE. 

Honorees for the 40th Annual Artios Awards, which will be presented at the ceremonies are: (Note: The Lynn Stalmaster Award For Career Achievement and other honors will be announced at a later date).

The Hoyt Bowers Award will be presented to legendary casting director John Papsidera. The award is for excellence in casting and honors the recipient’s body of work and outstanding contribution to the casting profession. Papsidera’s career includes castings on such films as “Clear and Present Danger,” “The Net,” “Anaconda” and “Cutthroat Island.” Starting in 1997, Papsidera embarked on forming his own casting company and over the past 27 years has been the casting director for over 250 films and television projects some of which include: “Austin Powers,” “Memento,” “Batman: Begins,” “The Longest Yard,” “Enchanted,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Dark Knight Rises, “The Suicide Squad,” “Ghostbusters,” “Oppenheimer” and “Saturday Night.” His television credits include, “If These Walls Could Talk,” “Live from Baghdad,” “Carnivale,” “Lackawanna Blues,” “Prison Break,” “Ray Donovan,” “Casual,” “Lost In Space,” “Westworld,” “The Flight Attendant,” “Yellowstone, 1883”, “Wednesday,” “The Night Agent” and “Fallout.” His achievements in the field of casting include 23 nominations and 5 Artios Awards for outstanding casting and 6 nominations and 2 Emmy® Awards for his work in television.

The Rosalie Joseph Humanitarian Award, given for outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes that have in turn supported the casting community, will be presented posthumously to casting director Zora DeHorter.

The Marion Dougherty New York Apple Award will be presented to casting director Daniel Swee. Daniel Swee is an acclaimed casting director with over four decades of experience in theater and film.  He has been the casting director for Lincoln Center Theater since 1992, where he has worked on over 125 productions, including “McNeal,” “Uncle Vanya,” “The Skin of Our Teeth,” “Oslo,” “Pipeline,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” “Golden Boy,” “Other Desert Cities,” “War Horse,” “A Free Man of Color,” “In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play,” “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” “The Coast of Utopia,” “Awake and Sing!,” “Seascape,” “Henry IV,” “Dinner at Eight,” “Morning’s at Seven,” “The Invention of Love,” “Twelfth Night,” “Contact,” “Ivanov,” “A Delicate Balance,” “Arcadia,” “The Heiress,” “Carousel,” and “The Sisters Rosensweig.” His additional Broadway credits include: Death of a Salesman,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” “God of Carnage,” “Julius Caesar,” “Art,” “The Crucible,” “Once on This Island” and “The Heidi Chronicles.” His film credits include: “The Hours,” “The Object of My Affection,” “Center Stage” and “The Crucible.” Prior to Lincoln Center Theater, Swee has worked for Playwrights Horizons (casting director), TCG (casting director), and the Hudson Guild Theatre (Associate Producer). He has been a guest instructor at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, The Juilliard School, and NYU/Tisch Grad Acting.

The Capelier-Shaw Award for Excellence in Casting will be presented to Juliette Ménager.  Juliette Ménager is an internationally renowned casting director and in 1994, she founded Joule Studio Casting in Paris. As one of the world’s leading casting studios, Joule has worked with directors such as Clint Eastwood, Bernardo Bertolucci, Alejandro Innaritù, Matthew Weiner, Darren Star, Steven Spielberg, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, Oliver Stone, John Woo and Spike Lee. Her eclecticism, vision and taste for innovation means she is constantly on the creative cutting edge in this interconnected century. Juliette provides talents for major films, television series. Her portfolio also includes TV series such as “Emily in Paris,” “The Dreamers,” “Babel,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The New Look,” “Franklin” and the two spin-offs of the series “The Walking Dead.” She is currently working on Amy and Dan Palladino’s new show “Etoile.” Juliette is a member of CSA (Casting Society), ICDA (International Casting Directors Association), ARDA (Association of Managers of Artistic Distribution) and AMPAS.

First held in 1985, the Artios Awards honors Casting Professionals in more than 20 different categories encompassing film, television and theatre. In addition, special honorees are selected for their contributions to the craft. Nominees and winners are voted on by members of Casting Society.  The 2025 ceremony will be the 40th anniversary of the Artios Awards.

Janelle James Bio:

Janelle James stars in the scene-stealing role of Ava Coleman in the Emmy-nominated ABC comedy series, “Abbott Elementary.” Both an audience favorite and critical darling, Janelle continues to receive accolades for her performance, including three consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as nominations for Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, Critic’s Choice, and Gotham Awards. James also earned the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and a nomination for the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy. Janelle’s latest stand-up special is featured in Season three of Netflix’s “The Stand Ups. Previously, Janelle served as both a writer and actor for Showtime’s “Black Monday” and Apple TV+’s animated series, “Central Park.” Janelle has toured with Chris Rock, Amy Schumer and David Cross among others. In 2016, she was a TBD at the Just For Laughs Festival Montreal and named one of The 50 Most Funny People in Brooklyn. In 2020, she was featured as one of Variety Top Ten Comedians to Watch. Her debut comedy album, Black and Mild, was released on all major streaming networks in 2017 to rave reviews. She also took over the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, now known as the Janelle James Comedy Festival in Brooklyn.

Jessica Gunning Bio:

Emmy award-winning actress Jessica Gunning starred as Martha in the critically acclaimed Netflix adaptation of Richard Gadd’s Olivier award-winning stage play, “Baby Reindeer.” The series received six Emmy® Awards, including Jessica’s win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series. In addition, she was recently nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television as well as a Critic’s Choice Award as Best Supporting Actress in  a Limited Series or Movie and an Independent Spirit Award as Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Jessica has also recently returned to TV as Diane in Season 3 of the hit BBC comedy “The Outlaws.” In addition, she has just finished shooting the adaptation of Enid Blyton’s “The Magic Faraway Tree,” in the role of Dame Washalot. On stage, Jessica played the role of Mrs Jewkes opposite Cate Blanchett in the National Theatre production of “When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other.” Her other credits for the National Theatre include “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Major Barbara.” Jessica played Siân James in the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated feature film “Pride,” and was in the BBC series “White Heat,” “MotherFatherSon” and “What Remains,” as well as guest-starring in “Doctor Who.” She was also seen in Channel 4’s “Back” with David Mitchell and Robert Webb.

Jordan Carlos Bio:

Jordan Carlos is a stand-up comedian and actor based in New York. He recently starred and wrote for the first season of Phoebe Robinson’s “Everything’s Trash” (Freeform). He has also written for “Divorce” (HBO), written and performed on “First Wives Club” (BET) and “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore” (Comedy Central). He also appeared in “Black Mirror” (Netflix), “Nora From Queens” (Comedy Central), “Party Down” (Starz) and the “Home Alone” reboot on Disney+. In addition, Jordan co-hosts the hit podcast “Adulting” on Exactly Right Media with Michelle Buteau. Other notable writing credits include “The White House Correspondents Dinner” (2016) as well as “The Not The White House Correspondents Dinner” with Samantha Bee (2017). Jordan recently starred in the Emmy nominated episode of “The Conversation Project” on Hulu, and in Mary Dauterman’s debut feature, “Booger.” In addition, he also features in “After This Death” and the short film “Knead” by Timothy Michael Cooper. Jordan is presently working on his debut comedy book, Choreplay (Hachette, out in winter 2026). Jordan also hosts a new short-form series “Elevated Moments” for AMC+.

About Casting Society: 

Casting Society was founded in February of 1982 with the intention of establishing a recognized standard of professionalism in the casting field and providing its members with a support organization to further their goals and protect their common interests. Casting Society currently boasts close to 1,200 members. Casting Society casting professionals work around the world, with members based in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Casting Society is a global resource for producers, directors and creative teams seeking casting professionals while promoting the image of casting directors and associate casting directors/casting producers worldwide, engaging in a number of charitable activities and supporting its members by sharing important and helpful professional information. For more information on Casting Society, please visit CastingSociety.com.