The Casting Society of America announced this year's winners at the New York 25th Annual Artios Awards® ceremony held at The Times Center, in the newly built New York Times Building (620 Eighth Ave) and hosted by comedian Janeane Garofalo. (The Los Angeles award ceremony was held simultaneously at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Celebrity guest presenters in New York were Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens), Vincent Kartheiser ("Mad Men"), Jennifer Morrison ("House"), Carrie Preston ("True Blood"), Bill Pullman (Oleanna), Elizabeth Reaser (Twilight), Michael Shannon (Little Flower of East Orange), and Patrick Wilson (Little Children, "Angels in America"). Stanley Tucci, presented the coveted New York Big Apple Award to Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron (their new theatrical production, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, just opened to rave reviews in New York).
Presented yearly for outstanding achievement in casting, awards are given on the criteria of originality, creativity and contribution of casting to the overall quality of a project. The term "Artios" is from the ancient Greek word meaning "perfectly fitted."
Each year, in addition to the awards presented to casting directors for their achievements in Theater, Television and Film casting, the Casting Society of America also recognizes Industry notables with a Career Achievement Award, The New York Apple Award and bestows the Hoyt Bowers Award on one of its own. In addition to Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, this year's honorees are (at the Los Angeles ceremony) Laura Ziskin will receive the Career Achievement Award, and John Frank Levey, the Hoyt Bowers Award.
The Artios Awards were first given in 1985 to honor excellence in casting and was held at the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel attended by 500 industry leaders. The first New York awards were given three years later.
The 2009 Artios Award Winners for Outstanding Achievement in Casting:
(Winner in bold)
Broadway Theater - Drama
"33 Variations," James Calleri
"All My Sons," Cindy Tolan
"Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Daniel Swee
"Reasons to be Pretty," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"The Seagull," Jim Carnahan
NY Broadway Theater - Comedy
"Blithe Spirit," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"Exit the King," Daniel Swee
"God of Carnage," Daniel Swee
"Speed the Plow," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"Waiting for Godot," Jim Carnahan
NY Broadway Theater - Musical
"9 to 5," Bernard Telsey, Craig Burns
"Billy Elliot," Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall,
Nora Brennan
"Pal Joey," Bernard Telsey, Jim Carnahan
"Rock of Ages," Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield
"Shrek," Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall
