Nina Gold makes history as the first British nominee for the inaugural Academy Award for Best Casting.
The 2026 Academy Award nominations have officially made history, and at the heart of the celebration is British casting icon Nina Gold, who has been recognised for her transformative work on Hamnet.
For the first time in the Academy’s 98-year history, the Best Achievement in Casting category has joined the competitive line-up. It’s a milestone that the industry has long championed, recognising the casting director as the vital architect of a film’s emotional DNA. It’s only fitting, then, that Nina Gold – a visionary who has shaped the landscape of modern cinema – stands as the first-ever British nominee in this landmark category for her work on Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet.
The Art of the Ensemble
In Hamnet, Nina was tasked with a profound challenge: finding the human faces to inhabit the grief-stricken, ethereal world of Maggie O’Farrell’s beloved novel. The result is a masterclass in chemistry and intuition.
By pairing Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as ‘Agnes’ and ‘Will’, Nina did more than just fill roles; she created a cinematic marriage that captures a raw, timeless intimacy that feels both period-accurate and deeply relatable to a modern-day audience. Her ability to discover the soul of the story – extending to the crucial casting of Jacobi Jupe (‘Hamnet’), Olivia Lynes (‘Judith’), and Bodhi Rae Breathnach (‘Susanna’) as the Shakespeare children – is the primary reason Hamnet has resonated so deeply with audiences and critics alike.
A Trailblazer for British Talent
While Nina is no stranger to accolades with multiple Emmys, Artios, CDG Awards and a BAFTA to her name, this Oscar nomination carries a unique weight on the International stage. As the first Briton to be recognised in this inaugural category, Nina brilliantly reflects the world-class talent found within the UK’s casting community. Her nomination is a victory not just for the film but for the countless casting professionals who work behind the scenes to bridge the gap between a script and a performance.
A New Chapter for the Academy
The addition of the Best Casting category at this year’s OSCARs marks a historic turning point for the craft, as the global industry finally grants the casting profession the prestigious recognition it has long deserved. For years, Spotlight has championed the vital role of casting directors, supporting the CDG and CSA to celebrate the achievements of their members. The arrival of the first-ever Academy Award for Achievement in Casting feels like a hard-won victory. Still, it underscores a truth we’ve always advocated for: that casting is the foundational heartbeat of storytelling.
Nina Gold’s presence in the nominations serves as a reminder that the perfect cast is never an accident – it’s the result of an artist with instinct, vision and an exacting craft. We look forward to seeing casting directors stepping out from behind the scenes and into the global spotlight.
Congratulations, Nina, from everyone at Spotlight on this historic and well-deserved recognition.
