Casting Society of America Nominees

Last month, AMPAS created a new branch of the Academy for casting directors, asking the question as to whether a new category should perhaps be enlisted to the Oscars.  As of now, the Casting Society of America (and the niche Robert Altman Award at the Independent Spirit Awards) stands as the highest honor for one of the unsung heroes of filmmaking.  Here are the nominees:

BEST CASTING IN A BIG BUDGET FEATURE (Comedy)
Oz: The Great & Powerful- John Papsidera
Pain & Gain- Denise Chamain, Lori Wyman, Ania Kamieniecki-O'Hare
Silver Linings Playbook- Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham, Diane Heery
Ted- Sheila Jaffe, Angela Perri
The Watch- Alyssa Weisberg, Shay Bentley Griffin, Yesi Ramirez, Karina Walters

Life of Pi

BEST CASTING IN A BIG BUDGET FEATURE (Drama)
Argo- Lora Kennedy
Life of Pi- Avy Kaufman
Lincoln- Avy Kaufman, Erica Arvold, Pat Moran
Les Misérables- Nina Gold
Zero Dark Thirty- Mark Bennett, Richard Hicks, Seher Latif

BEST CASTING IN A STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT FEATURE (Comedy)
Hitchcock- Terri Taylor, John McAlary
Moonrise Kingdom- Douglas Aibel, Henry Russell Bergstein
Pitch Perfect- Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee, Tracy Kilpatrick
Seven Psychopaths- Sarah Halley Finn, Tamara Hunter
To Rome With Love- Patricia DiCerto, Beatrice Kruger

Magic Mike

BEST CASTING IN A STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT FEATURE (Drama)
The Company You Keep- Avy Kaufman
Lawless- Francine Maisler
Looper- Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham, Lisa Mae Fincannon, Craig Fincannon
Magic Mike- Carmen Cuba, Wittney Hutton
Mud- Francine Maisler, Diana Guthrie
The Place Beyond the Pines- Cindy Tolan, Adam Caldwell

BEST CASTING IN A LOW BUDGET FEATURE
Celeste & Jesse Forever- Angela Demo
Compliance- Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee
Frances Ha- Douglas Aibel, Henry Russell Bergstein
The Sessions- Ronnie Yeskel
Smashed- Avy Kaufman, Kim Coleman

BEST CASTING IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE
Brave- Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon
Epic- Christian Kaplan
Frankenweenie- Ronna Kress, Jennifer Rubin
Ice Age: Continental Drift- Christian Kaplan
Wreck-It-Ralph- Jamie Sparer Roberts