Shayna Markowitz Wins First-Ever BAFTA for Casting
The 73rd annual British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards were held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on February 2nd, where the first-ever Best in Casting award went to Shayna Markowitz for her work on Joker.
This marks the first time in over 20 years that BAFTA has added a new category to their show, and the first time the awards have honored casting directors and their achievements in film.
BAFTA is now one of the first major film and television ceremonies to celebrate the casting community, joining the ranks of the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA), which first introduced casting categories in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Other nominees for Best in Casting included Douglas Aibel and Francine Maisler (Marriage Story), Victoria Thomas (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), Sarah Crowe (The Personal History of David Copperfield), and Nina Gold (The Two Popes).
Congratulations to Markowitz on her extraordinary win, and congratulations to BAFTA for adding this important accolade to their awards show. Click here to watch Joker actress Zazie Beetz accept the award for Best in Casting on Markowitz’s behalf.
