Miranda Hart & Harry Hill lead British Comedy Awards nominations
The nominations for The British Comedy Awards 2010 have been announced. Miranda Hart and Harry Hill lead the way with four nominations each. Meanwhile, CBBC sketch show Horrible Histories becomes the first ever children's show to be nominated for a British Comedy Award.
(Update: Winners announced)
Here's the nominations in full...
Best Comedy Panel Show
Best Comedy Entertainment Programme
- Newswipe
Best Comedy Entertainment Personality
- Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly
Best Male Comic
Best Female Comic
- Jo Brand
Best New British TV Comedy
- Miranda
- The Trip
Best Male Comedy Breakthrough Artist
Best Female Comedy Breakthrough Artist
Best Sketch Show
Best Sitcom
- Miranda
Best Comedy Actor
Best Comedy Actress
- Jo Brand
Best British Comedy Performance in Film
As part of the changes being introduced as the awards move to Channel 4, this year for the first time all eligible nominees were voted for by the British Comedy Academy members - a new collective of "over 200 of the most talented performers, producers, agents and writers in British Comedy". The shows and people with the highest number of votes from the academy then progressed to the BCA Jury, chaired by veteran producer Beryl Vertue.
This year's awards sees two new categories introduced to add greater focus on celebrating the country's best comedy performers - in addition to Best Comic Actor & Actress, and Best Comedy Entertainment Personality, the awards will now recognise the Best Male & Female TV Comic for the first time. The 'Newcomer' categories have also been re-named as 'Breakthrough' awards - to better reflect that some of the nominees in this category may not be 'new' to the industry.
Plus, a new 'gold' award will reveal the British public's choice for their 'King or Queen of Comedy' - more details on the nominees for that below.
Jonathan Ross will host the British Comedy Awards results ceremony at the indigO2 next Saturday 22 January 2011. The ceremony will be broadcast live - without a time delay - on Channel 4 from 9pm.
People's Choice Award For The King Or Queen Of Comedy 2010
The People's Choice Award for the King or Queen of Comedy sees five of the UK's leading entertainment acts go head to head in a new public vote...
Lines are open from now until they close during the awards show. Calls cost 16p from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will cost considerably more. Maximum 6 votes per caller. Full terms and conditions at channel4.com/comedyawards
Here are the nominees, the phone numbers to call and the official nominee biographies...
Ant & Dec (09015 22 24 01)
Inseparable comedy duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly met as teenagers on the set of BBC children's drama Byker Grove, but were destined for lasting fame as Britain's favourite TV presenting partnership. The duo have become a regular fixture on our TV screens, presenting such popular shows as Pop Idol and Saturday Night Takeaway.
In 2010, Ant and Dec launched their new ITV quiz show, Ant & Dec's Push The Button, presented a fourth series of Britain's Got Talent and returned to the jungle for the 10th series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
At the National Television Awards, the duo received the Most Popular Entertainment Programme award (for Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway) and the joint award for Most Popular Entertainment Presenter. The year also saw them triumph in the category of Best Entertainment Performance at the British Academy Television Awards for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Ant & Dec said: "We are thrilled to be nominated in this category and to be recognised by our peers but it means all the more when it's voted for by the public".
David Mitchell (09015 22 24 02)
Actor, comedian and writer, David Mitchell is best known as one half of the comedic duo Mitchell and Webb, but makes regular solo appearances on TV and radio panel shows, including QI, Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week and Would I Lie To You? He won the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Performance in 2009 for his role in Peep Show.
The year also saw Mitchell memorably co-host Channel 4's live satirical Alternative Election Night with Jimmy Carr, Charlie Brooker and Lauren Laverne. He joined a line-up of the nation's favourite comedians on Channel 4's Comedy Gala benefit show at the O2 Arena, and hosted his own current affairs quiz show with a twist, The Bubble, on BBC Two. To round off a great year, it was announced that David would reteam with co-stars Jimmy, Charlie and Lauren in 2011 for Channel 4's live current affairs show, 10 O'Clock Live.
David Mitchell said: "I have no comment to make at this time but I ask that people respect my family's privacy."
Harry Hill (09015 22 24 03)
Harry gave up a career in medicine in order to make his mark in comedy. His stand-up debut at the Edinburgh Festival in 1992 landed him The Perrier Award for Best Newcomer. After a stint in radio, he produced and starred in Fruit Fancies for BBC Two, before moving to Channel 4 for The Harry Hill Show. This earned him his first British Comedy Award, for Best New Television Comedy, in 1997. A move to ITV followed, with The All New Harry Hill Show appearing 2001.
Harry is best known for his TV Burp show, which won Best Entertainment Programme at the 2006 British Comedy Awards. He also won Best Entertainment Personality.
The show completed its hugely successful 10th series in 2010, regularly bringing in more than 6 million viewers to ITV. As well as continuing as the voice of You've Been Framed, the year also saw Harry launch a series of internet-only comedy shorts for AOL. He wrote, produced, directed and starred in 10 five-minute episodes of Harry Hill's Little Internet Show, featuring new material and original songs. He was also part of the 2010 re-launch of cult comic Dandy, featuring in and contributing to his own strip, Harry Hill's Real-Life Adventures in TV-Land.
Michael McIntyre (09015 22 24 04)
Stand-up sensation Michael McIntyre has enjoyed a stratospheric rise to comedy stardom in the last few years. Best known as host of his own primetime BBC One show, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, and for his performances on Live At The Apollo, Michael began his stand-up career in 1999 and is now a household name.
His profile is set to be boosted even further as he replaces Piers Morgan on the judging panel alongside David Hasselhoff, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden on Britain's Got Talent later this year.
2010 was a particularly successful year for Michael. At 34 he became the youngest-ever host of The Royal Variety Performance, took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital, and appeared on stage at A Concert For Heroes, raising money for Help for Heroes, and ended 2010 with The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, alongside Alan Carr.
Michael McIntyre says: "To see my name alongside such hilarious people for this award is a real honour".
Miranda Hart (09015 22 24 05)
Miranda began her comedy career at the Edinburgh Festival in 1994, but it wasn't until 2005 that she gave up her day job (as a PA in the Comic Relief office) to concentrate on it full time. The following year she starred in Hyperdrive on BBC Two, for which she was nominated for her first British Comedy Award. She also appeared in Absolutely Fabulous and Nighty Night, and co-starred as the cleaner Barbara in series two and three of Not Going Out.
Miranda has been nominated for three British Comedy Awards this year for her self-titled BBC Two sitcom. The show, based around a socially-awkward joke shop proprietress, grew from an autobiographical BBC Radio 2 programme. It finished its second series in December with an impressive 4.3 million viewers.
It capped a strong 2010 for Miranda, who started the year with a Best Comedy Performance Award for the show from the Royal Television Society. She also shared a nomination in the writing category. In March, she was amongst seven celebrities who cycled from John O'Groats to Land's End in aid of Sport Relief. The stunt raised over £1.3 million for charity.
Miranda Hart said: "I am, what I call, thrilled to be nominated."