ATG Entertainment joins The Spotlight Prize 2025 as headline sponsor and we introduce this year’s esteemed panel of judges.
We’re thrilled to announce that ATG Entertainment is joining The Spotlight Prize as our exclusive headline sponsor. ATG will be supporting the event that sees 19 drama school and university graduates from the UK and Ireland showcase their talent to a specially invited audience of industry professionals. We’re proud to be partnering with ATG, whose commitment, like ours, to championing new and emerging talent will help make this year’s event our best yet.
We’re also delighted to reveal our judges for this year’s prize. We’ve always assembled a world-class panel of industry experts to choose our Spotlight Prize winners and this year is no exception. The panel includes an international range of talented and experienced casting directors and actors all ready to be dazzled by our exceptional finalists.
The Spotlight Prize 2025 stage judges are:
Ginny Schiller, CDG
Jemma Redgrave
Kosar Ali
Kristina Erdely, CSA
Lotte Hines, CDG
Mathew Horne
Matthew Dunster
Maureen Beattie, OBE
Paul Chahidi
Rosie Pearson, CDA, CDG, CSA
Selma Nicholls, CDA, CDG
The Spotlight Prize 2025 screen judges are:
Carla Stronge, CSA
Cassandra Han, BVC, CSA, ICDA
Destiny Lilly, CSA
Francesco Vedovati, ICDA, UICD
Jimmy Akingbola
Julia Crampsie, CDG
Kate Rhodes-James, CDG, CSA, ICDA
Luci Lenox, APDICE, CSA
Mukesh Chhabra, CSA
Find out More about the Judging Panel
Stage Judges
Ginny Schiller, CDG
Ginny Schiller is an accomplished casting director whose diverse credits span theatre, television, film and radio. Formerly Head of Casting at the Royal Shakespeare Company, she has been the in-house casting director for venues including Chichester Festival Theatre, Soho Theatre and English Touring Theatre and has worked closely with Theatre Royal Bath and the Ustinov Studio for over a decade.
On stage, some of Ginny’s notable productions include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the Southwark Playhouse and the Ambassadors, Machinal at the Ustinov and Old Vic, A View From the Bridge, The Deep Blue Sea, Noises Off in Bath and the Theatre Royal Haymarket, 4000 Miles and Redlands at Chichester, and 1984 for Headlong, the Almeida and in the West End. Ginny is committed to championing both established and emerging talent, and is a full member of the Casting Directors’ Guild.
Jemma Redgrave
Jemma Redgrave is a distinguished English actress whose versatile career spans film, television and theatre. Born in London, she is a fourth-generation member of the renowned Redgrave acting dynasty and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Jemma is celebrated for her roles in acclaimed films such as Howards End, Love & Friendship and The Beekeeper. On television, she is widely recognised for portraying ‘Kate Stewart’ in Doctor Who, ‘DI Jill Raymond’ in Silent Witness and ‘Amelia’ in Grantchester. She also recently appeared in The War Between the Land and the Sea for Disney+. Her stage work includes leading performances at the Old Vic, Chichester Festival Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, and the West End.
Kosar Ali
Kosar Ali is a multi-disciplinary creative and actor, best known for her performance in the BAFTA and BIFA award-winning film, Rocks. This role earned her Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer at the 2021 BIFA, and her first BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Her other credits include ‘Hana’ in Pru, ‘Victoire’ in TV series Dangerous Liaisons, and Rubiah Hussain’s Word-Play at the Royal Court. She was recently seen in Warda Mohamed’s Muna and gained her first Executive Producer credit on the project, and stars in the short film Luna, directed by Radford Nicholls. Kosar was named as one of the Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow 2021.
Kristina Erdely, CSA
Kristina Erdely is an award-winning London-based casting director and producer with over 25 years of industry experience. She is a member of the Casting Society of America (CSA) and BAFTA.
Kristina was nominated for an Artios Award in 2020 for her work on David Fincher’s BAFTA-winning Netflix series, Love, Death & Robots. Her impressive credits also include The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, The Drowning, The Brutalist and The Actor. She founded her production company, Marilla Pictures, in 2018 and is a strong advocate for increasing diverse storytelling and inclusive productions.
Lotte Hines, CDG
Lotte Hines is a highly regarded casting director celebrated for her contributions across major UK theatre productions. She began her career at the Royal Court, serving as Casting Associate and later Deputy Casting Director from 2008-2014. She has also worked for Julie Harkin Casting and Kharmel Cochrane Casting.
Her impressive credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre), English (RSC), Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Theatre Royal Haymarket) and Between Riverside and Crazy (Hampstead). Lotte has also worked with venues such as the Young Vic, Chichester Festival Theatre and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and is currently the Resident Casting Director for the Donmar Warehouse.
Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne is an actor and writer best known for his roles across television, film and stage. He rose to prominence as ‘Gavin Shipman’ in the hugely popular sitcom Gavin & Stacey and has been a regular collaborator with Catherine Tate, appearing in The Catherine Tate Show. Horne’s other notable television credits include Bad Education, Teachers and Agatha Raisin.
In addition to his screen work, Mathew has earned widespread recognition for his stage performances. His theatre credits include: Entertaining Mr Sloane, Charley’s Aunt, Rain Man, The Homecoming, The Pride, The Tempest, The Miser and Noises Off. He will soon be appearing in Endgame at the Theatre Royal Bath.
Matthew Dunster
Matthew Dunster is a theatre and film director and writer. Previously an actor, he has directed and written over 60 theatre shows, some for the RSC, National Theatre, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare’s Globe and The Bridge. He has also directed on the West End, Broadway and internationally, and was the Associate Director of The Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe.
His most recent productions include: 2:22 A Ghost Story, Shirley Valentine, The Pillowman, The Homecoming and Dealer’s Choice. Matthew’s Broadway production of Hangmen was nominated for five Tony’s.
In Autumn 2025, he will direct Conor McPherson’s stage adaptation of The Hunger Games.
Maureen Beattie, OBE
Maureen Beattie is an award-winning actress who has graced the stages of the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the West End, appearing in productions such as Yerma, The Ferryman, As You Like It and My Fair Lady. On television, she is known for standout roles in Deadwater Fell, Playing Nice, Fear and long-running series like Casualty and Vera. Her film credits include Sunlight and The Decoy Bride.
Maureen served as the President of Equity between 2018 and 2022, was appointed an OBE for services to the entertainment industry in 2020, and received a Saltire Society Outstanding Woman of Scotland award in 2018.
Paul Chahidi
Paul Chahidi is a celebrated British stage and screen actor, nominated for Tony, Olivier, and Royal Television Society awards. His recent screen credits include See How They Run, The Serpent Queen and two seasons of the Iranian-American comedy Chad. Other notable roles include Good Omens (Amazon Prime), three seasons of the BAFTA-winning This Country (BBC) and The Death of Stalin.
Paul has performed extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Shakespeare’s Globe and Royal Court, and starred on Broadway in Twelfth Night. He is a Theatre World and Clarence Derwent Award winner, and an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Rosie Pearson, CDA, CDG, CSA
Rosie Pearson began her career as an actor before discovering her passion for casting. In 2014, she co-founded the award-winning Pearson Casting, now an international casting house with offices in London and New York.
Rosie’s discerning eye has brought talent to acclaimed productions including Operation Mincemeat, SIX the Musical, Titanique, Starlight Express, Rent and Play On!, as well as US tours of Pretty Woman and Clue. In 2022, Pearson Casting won Best Casting in Regional Theatre at the CDG Awards for Rent. Rosie is a proud member of the CDG, CDA, and CSA, and was named one of The Stage’s 100 most influential people in UK theatre in 2025.
Selma Nicholls, CDA, CDG
Selma Nicholls is an acclaimed casting director and founder of Looks Like Me Casting, who are dedicated to raising the profile and visibility of underrepresented voices featured in mainstream content. Since 2016, she has cast high-profile ad campaigns, commercials, and projects featuring young performers.
Selma’s commitment to change has seen her champion authentic and diverse casting across the industry. Her notable credits include the Grammy-winning video Brown Skin Girl, part of Beyoncé’s #BLACKISKING, and the Black British Theatre Award and CDA Award-winning Rumble in the Jungle: Rematch at Dock X in London. Selma is a board member of the CDA, BAFTA Scripted Casting Jury and President of the Casting Jury at the D&AD Awards.
Screen Judges
Carla Stronge, CSA
Carla Stronge is an acclaimed casting director, known for her work across major television and film productions. Her distinguished portfolio includes casting for popular series like The Fall and Derry Girls, alongside her extensive role in the local casting for all seasons of HBO’s monumental Game of Thrones.
Recently, Carla has garnered industry recognition for her casting of the biopic of the Irish language hip-hop trio Kneecap, earning a British Independent Film Award (BIFA), the inaugural Irish Film & Television Academy casting award, and a BAFTA nomination. Upcoming projects include Channel 4’s Trespasses and Lisa McGee’s How to Get to Heaven From Belfast for Netflix.
Cassandra Han, BVC, CSA, ICDA
Cassandra Han is an Artois-nominated casting director based in Munich and Italy, known for bridging European and Anglo-American talent. After a decade casting in New York, she has established herself as a key figure in German-language and international co-productions. She is currently casting The Weight with Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe.
Other recent credits include the Lionsgate series The German (SeriesMania 2025 Best Screenplay), Samia (Tribeca 2024 Special Jury Mention), One Trillion Dollars for Paramount+, She Said Maybe for Netflix and Die Drei Fragezeichen for Sony. Italian credits include: Ford v Ferrari, Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, the Netflix hit Barbarians. UK casting includes Miss Fallaci, the upcoming Quezon and the German series Black Gold. Cassandra is President of the CSA Global Chapter and a member of the German and European Film Academies.
Destiny Lilly, CSA
Destiny Lilly is an Emmy-nominated casting director based in New York and she currently serves as the President of the Casting Society (CSA). Working out of The Telsey Office, she has made significant contributions to both screen and stage.
Her recent projects include 2023’s critically acclaimed The Color Purple and Hulu’s hit series Only Murders in the Building. On Broadway, Destiny has cast notable productions including A Strange Loop, Purlie Victorious and Glengarry Glen Ross. She also casts plays and musicals for prestigious institutions like New York Stage & Film, MCC Theater and the Atlantic Theater Company. Destiny is an avowed Anglophile and graduated from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with an MA in Theatre Practice.
Francesco Vedovati, ICDA, UICD
Francesco Vedovati has established himself as a prominent casting director in Italian cinema over several decades. His exceptional work earned him an Emmy Award in 2023 for the drama series The White Lotus (Season 2). He also cast the Oscar-nominated film Io, Capitano (2024) and received a BAFTA nomination for The Two Popes. Vedovati has been recognised with multiple Artios Awards from the Casting Society of America for projects including Fargo and Ripley. In 2024, he was honored with the Capelier-Shaw Artios Award for Excellence in Casting, followed by the Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Studio or Independent Feature – Drama for Conclave in 2025.
Jimmy Akingbola
ALRA graduate, Jimmy Akingbola, is a British actor celebrated for his versatile performances across television, film and theatre. Currently reprising his role as ‘Geoffrey Thompson’ in the filming of the fourth season of US hit drama, Bel-Air, Jimmy’s extensive career has taken in multiple award-winning theatre productions and recurring roles in British and American film and television series, including Idris Elba’s In the Long Run and Apple TV’s Ted Lasso. In addition, Jimmy produces and hosts ITV’s Sorry, I Didn’t Know, and co-founded the TriForce Creative Network to promote diversity, inclusion, access and social mobility in the creative industries.
Julia Crampsie, CDG
Julia Crampsie forms one half of the dynamic Crampsie Linge Casting duo with Wayne Linge. Their collaboration began in 2014, rooted in their time together within the BBC’s Casting Department, where Julia served as Head of Casting for over 15 years. They officially established Crampsie Linge Casting in 2023.
Boasting over three decades in the field, Julia’s extensive casting expertise spans a wide array of projects, including single drama films, comedies, returning series, continuing dramas and new-writing shorts, alongside vital new talent initiatives. Her notable screen credits include Our Girl, We Hunt Together, Dead Boss, Grandpa’s Great Escape and Father Brown.
Kate Rhodes-James, CDG, CSA, ICDA
After studying acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Kate Rhodes James discovered her true passion lay behind the lens, shifting her focus to casting. She began her journey as an assistant on Lucasfilm’s The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, subsequently assisting Debbie McWilliams on notable films such as GoldenEye, Romeo & Juliet and Tales From the Crypt.
Following five years as an assistant, Kate launched her independent casting career. Over the past quarter-century, she has become a leading figure, contributing her discerning eye to acclaimed projects including: Line of Duty, Sherlock, House of the Dragon, The Terror, Alien: Earth, Bodyguard, Napoleon, Gladiator 2 and House of Gucci.
Luci Lenox, APDICE, CSA
Luci Lenox is an Irish casting director based in Spain. She has worked on over 100 productions for a diverse client roster, including Netflix, Fox, Amazon and the BBC.
Luci’s distinctive career trajectory, prior to casting, offers a unique perspective. It encompasses running Barcelona nightclubs, a stint at MTV Europe and tour managing for both a rock band and an avant-garde theatre company. Having lived and worked across numerous global regions, including Algeria and Brazil, she possesses a truly international contact list. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Luci has served on DEI committees for CSA (Europe) and APDICE (Spain). She is also the founder of The Actors Home.
Mukesh Chhabra, CSA
Mukesh Chhabra is one of India’s most influential casting directors, with over two decades of experience. His instinct for discovering authentic talent has redefined casting in Hindi cinema. He founded the Mukesh Chhabra Casting Company (MCCC) in 2008, which has since cast 300+ films, 100+ web series, and 500+ commercials.
Mukesh has been instrumental in launching the careers of Rajkummar Rao, Sushant Singh Rajput, Tripti Dimri and Sanya Malhotra, amongst many others. His credits include: Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Gangs of Wasseypur, Laal Singh Chaddha, Jawan and Dunki. In 2020, he made a notable directorial debut with Dil Bechara. Currently, he is casting for major upcoming productions, including Ramayana, King, Border 2, Tere Ishk Mein and Housefull 5.
They join an exciting roster of former judges, which includes actors Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Susan Wokoma, Rosalind Eleazar, Gemma Chan, Rosamund Pike, Hayley Atwell and Paapa Essiedu, and casting directors Nina Gold, Lucy Bevan, Fiona Weir and Shaheen Baig.
The Spotlight Prize 2025, happening on 2 July 2025 in a Central London location, promises to be an unforgettable night of performances.
Find out more about the history of the Spotlight Prize and 2024’s Spotlight Prize winners.
