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CGA – John McRae Photography & Studio

Casting Guild Awards Night 2024


Janet Anderson on the red carpet for the CGA Awards Night, 2024
Janet Anderson on the red carpet for the CGA Awards Night, 2024

It was a Friday night at the ballroom of The Establishment and it was the awards night for the Casting Guild of Australia

What is the Casting Guild of Australia? Well in their own words….”The Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) was formed to bring recognition to Casting Directors across Australia who cast film, television, TV commercials, theatre, new media and reality. The CGA gives members a forum to share ideas and exchange information, provides unified standards for safe, inclusive and fair practices, engages in charitable activities, and highlights its members’ achievements.”

Each year, the Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) holds an awards ceremony to recognize outstanding individuals in various categories, akin to the Oscars for casting agents. This event is unique in the southern hemisphere, as it celebrates and acknowledges casting achievements across all mediums, including film, television, advertising, theatre, and online content.

Group image of some of the 10 young, up-and-coming, new talent.

On Friday night, attendees gathered in the ballroom to mingle and socialize, celebrating the achievements within the casting community. During the event, several awards were presented, and ten promising young talents were recognized as future stars likely to achieve national and international fame. The evening featured speeches and was expertly hosted by the erudite duo, Christian and Connor Van Vuuren.


Christian and Connor Van Vuuren, hosts for the CGA Awards night, 2024, on the red carpet.
Christian and Connor Van Vuuren, hosts for the CGA Awards night, 2024, on the red carpet.

There was also a special appearance and presentation by Sally Riley who is a notable filmmaker, writer, producer, was head of the indigenous branch of Screen Australia, then Head of the Indigenous Deparment at ABC, during which time she executive produced Mabo and Redfern Now….then in 2015 was appointed Head of Scripted Production at ABC, which commissioned series like Stateless, Mystery Road, Total Control, After Taste, Rosehaven, Wakefield, The Newsreader and many more. Sally is now Creative Consultant at SBS and NITV.

Cathy Riley (filmmaker, writer, producer) during her presentation at the CGA Awards Night, 2024
Cathy Riley (filmmaker, writer, producer) during her presentation at the CGA Awards Night, 2024

It was a great night, lots of good energy, with the red carpet photography going non-stop as the award winners and guests took advantage of getting photographed in front of the media wall. Lastly, congratulations to all the award winners…well done!