Comedy awards nominations announced

Nominations for this year's British Comedy Awards were announced today but organisers still do not know if the event will be shown on ITV.

Wed, 07 Nov, 2007 - 10:20

Nominations for this year's British Comedy Awards were announced today but organisers still do not know if the event will be shown on ITV.

The broadcaster is awaiting the results of an investigation into alleged phone vote irregularities in the 2005 show.

Until then it has suspended coverage of the awards, which are traditionally broadcast every December on ITV1.

Nevertheless, organisers are still putting on the event, which will be hosted by Jonathan Ross on December 5.

And they may have the last laugh - of the 31 nominees in TV categories, only two are ITV shows.

Al Murray's 'Happy Hour' and 'Harry Hill's TV Burp' are the lone ITV contenders.

Elsewhere, Catherine Tate, 'The Royle Family' star Liz Smith, and Ruth Jones from 'Saxondale' and 'Gavin & Stacey' are nominees for Best TV Comedy Actress.

Best TV Comedy Actor will go to either David Mitchell for 'Peep Show', Jack Dee for 'Lead Balloon', Kevin Bishop for 'Star Stories' or Lee Mack for 'Not Going Out.'

'Star Stories', 'Peep Show' and 'Gavin & Stacey' are the nominees for Best TV Comedy.

BBC3 show 'Gavin & Stacey' leads the field with seven nominations, with stars James Corden, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page and Ruth Jones up for acting awards.

The prize for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality will go to either Simon Amstell for 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks', Stephen Fry for 'QI' or 'The Friday Night Project' stars Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins.

Carr and Collins would be the first double act to scoop the award.

Other shows up for awards include 'The Graham Norton Show', 'The Simpsons' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'.

ITV announced in September that it was suspending coverage of the event pending an investigation into reports that viewers were encouraged to vote in the 2005 ceremony even when the winner had been chosen.

The alleged irregularities occurred during the public vote for the People's Choice Award, which went to 'Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway' - a show already caught up in a premium rate phone scandal.

The broadcaster has appointed media law firm Olswang to investigate the claims.

Full List of Nominations

Best Television Comedy Actor

David Mitchell - 'Peep Show' (Channel 4)

Jack Dee - 'Lead Balloon' (BBC4)

Kevin Bishop - 'Star Stories' (Channel 4)

Lee Mack - 'Not Going Out' (BBC1)

Best Television Comedy Actress

Catherine Tate - 'The Catherine Tate Show' (BBC2)

Liz Smith - 'The Royle Family: The Queen of Sheba' (BBC1)

Ruth Jones - 'Gavin & Stacey' (BBC3) / Saxondale (BBC2)

Best Comedy Entertainment Personality