Another batch of award nods

The Royle Family, Russell Brand and Stephen Fry have all been nominated for TV awards for the second time in a week.

They have all received nods in the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, just two days after garnering similar recognition in the Royal Television Society Awards.

The Royle Family’s Queen of Sheba special has been nominated for the comedy/entertainment award, where it will be up against That Mitchell And Webb Look and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? The sitcom’s star Sue Johnston is also up for best actress.

Meanwhile, Russell Brand has been shortlisted for best non-acting performer alongside Jonathan Ross, Jeremy Paxman and Simon Schama.

Stephen Fry’s The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive has been nominated for best single documentary; while Michael Sheen, another RTS nominee, is again shortlisted for best actor, in part for playing Kenneth Williams in the BBC Four drama Fantabulosa!

Sandi Toksvig has been shortlisted as radio broadcaster of the year opposite John Humphrys, Paddy O’Connell and Jeremy Vine; while Radio 4’s spoof phone-in Down The Line has been nominated as best radio show of the year alongside the sitcom Clare In The Community, topical show Broadcasting House and Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan

The shortlists are dominated by BBC One’s Life on Mars and Channel 4’s Longford, each of which garnered four nominations.

The winners - which are decided by more than 100 journalists who specialise in television, radio and the media - will be announced in London on March 23.

Published: 1 Mar 2007