British Soap Awards 2011 - The nominations

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

NEXT Saturday, the stars of Britain’s five premier soaps will gather at the BBC Television Centre in London to celebrate, reflect and reminisce the big events in soap over the past twelve months.  Several talking points have been raised following the release of the British Soap Awards nominations last week, so it’s only fitting to have a look at some of the contenders and possible winners or losers.

PROMISE: Will Danny's acting skills finally earn him an award?

     The viewing public once again have their say in six of the awards, which are the most hotly contested.  In ‘Sexiest Male’, Keith Duffy and Chris Fountain of Coronation Street (Ciaran McCarthy and Tommy Duckworth), the latter has only been present since last month, will go up against EastEnders’ Scott Maslen (Jack Branning) and Emmerdale’s Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy).  The ‘Sexiest Female’ award also swayed in favour of Corrie with nominations for Alison King (Carla Connor) and Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre) with competition from EastEnders’ Rita Simons (Roxy Mitchell) and Hollyoaks Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen).

     In ‘Villain Of The Year’, EastEnders heads the running with Charlie Brooks (Janine Molloy) and Don Gilet (Lucas Johnson) but they will have their work cut out with Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow) from Corrie, beating obvious candidate Graeme Hawley (John Stape) and Emmet J. Scanlan (Brendan Brady) from Hollyoaks.

     A strong field for ‘Best Actress’ features Corrie’s Katherine Kelly (Becky McDonald), Jessie Wallace from EastEnders (Kat Moon), Emmerdale’s Jane Cox (Lisa Dingle), who won honourable praise for her recent rape storyline and a surprise nod for Claire Cooper (Jacqui McQueen) from Hollyoaks.  In ‘Best Actor’, Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) from Corrie and Shane Richie (Alfie Moon) from EastEnders will compete alongside popular figures Danny Miller and Emmet J. Scanlan.

     The remaining awards are determined by an expert panel.  They have made some questionable choices in the past but they believe they know they are doing.  One of the most anticipated awards will be for ‘Spectacular Scene of the Year.’  The clear favourite is Corrie’s Tram Crash with opposition from EastEnders’ Queen Vic Fire, Emmerdale for the extreme car crash that left Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock) paralyzed and Hollyoaks for its lift shaft stunt.  In ‘Best Single Episode,’ Corrie’s Live Episode is also the obvious choice with no rather stiff competition for it whilst the ‘Best Storyline’ is contested by Corrie for Kevin Webster’s (Michael Le Vell) affair with the late Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) which destroyed the closely-knitted Webster clan, Doctors for Karen’s abortion and Emmerdale hoping to cause an upset with Holly Barton’s (Sophie Powles) drug addiction.  Despite a national outcry, EastEnders’ Baby Swap storyline is nominated.  If it wins, many would expect outrage and fury from fans and media commentators alike.

OUTSIDER: Steph's Hollyoaks exit last November was a tearjerker

     For ‘Best Comedy Performance’, it’s a close call with the favourites being EastEnders Tameka Empson (Kim Fox) and Hollyoaks Alex Carter (Lee Hunter).  Despite not being put forward for Best Actress, Jane Danson (Leanne Barlow) is still preferred by many to win the ‘Best Dramatic Performance’ award.  She will be hard pushed by Danny Miller, his third nomination overall, Claire Cooper and EastEnders Lindsey Coulson (Carol Jackson).  The ‘Best Exit’ award will sometimes shed a tear or two, and this year is no exception with Corrie’s Bill Tarmey (Jack Duckworth), Emmerdale’s Andy Devine (Shadrach Dingle), EastEnders Lacey Turner (Stacey Branning) and Hollyoaks Carley Stenson (Steph Roach).  It isn’t surprising that Turner would be considered favourite but Stenson’s exit in November’s Il Gnosh fire was very well-handled and could be Hollyoaks best chance at success this year.

SNUB: Sophie and Sian's Corrie romance is popular, but not enough for an award

     One new award is for ‘Best Young Performance,’ a simple renaming of the dramatic performance for a young actor or actress.  The main contenders are all nominated, Corrie’s Alexander Bain (Simon Barlow), EastEnders Maisie Smith (Tiffany Butcher), Emmerdale’s Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle) and Hollyoaks Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham).  The real surprises come from the ‘Best On-Screen Partnership’ nominations.  Although well-known contenders Katherine Kelly & Simon Gregson, Jessie Wallace & Shane Ritchie and Emma Atkins & Jeff Hordley are in the running, it’s very surprising to see only one same-sex duo in the list, Kieron Richardson and Emmet J. Scanlan for Hollyoaks.  I emphasise that because the last year has seen a sharp rise in focusing on storylines with same-sex relationships.  So it’s very shocking that EastEnders Christian Clarke and Syed Masood (John Partridge & Marc Elliott), Emmerdale’s Danny Miller & Marc Silcock (Aaron Livesey & Jackson Walsh) and Corrie’s lesbian couple Brooke Vincent & Sacha Parkinson (Sophie Webster & Sian Powers) weren’t considered to be nominated considering all of their heightened popularity from viewers.

     Finally, the ‘Best Newcomer’ is also widely contested between four popular new faces.  Corrie’s Paula Lane (Kylie Turner), EastEnders Ricky Norwood (Fatboy Chubb), Emmerdale’s Pauline Quirke (Hazel Rhodes) and for Hollyoaks, you guessed it, Emmet J. Scanlan, five nominations for him.  To conclude, all five soaps are nominated for the viewer-voted ‘Best British Soap’ as usual and the ‘Special Achievement’ and ‘Lifetime Achievement’ will be unveiled on the night.  Although no clues have been given yet, the Lifetime honour is rumoured to go to Corrie again for either Bill Tarmey or William Roache (Ken Barlow), who has been in the soap since day one.  Once again, This Morning host Phillip Schofield presents the ceremony.

     In closing, this year’s awards are so close for contention.  Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale have nominations in every category, Hollyoaks managed to get more than many experts first predicted whilst Doctors only got two nominations, perhaps sealing that it will go away empty handed.

The ceremony takes place next Saturday and will be broadcast on ITV1 next Wednesday.  May the best soap win!

Excellent Enders Storm The Soap Awards

      

On Wednesday night, ITV screened the annual 12^th British Soap Awards bash, held at BBC Television Centre on May 7^th.  The night was dominated by the stars of BBC’s EastEnders, which scooped a staggering ten awards, the highest for any soap in any given year.

EastEnders, celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year was a class above the rest from the competitors this year, Coronation Street, Doctors, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.  It scooped all of the key awards, including Best British Soap for a third consecutive year.  Its spectacular live episode, as part of the anniversary celebration in February, which featured Stacey Slater being revealed as Archie Mitchell’s killer was the clear winner of Best Single Episode.  Lacey Turner, who is leaving the show later in the year, scooped the double for Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance.  Also collected a duo of awards was Scott Maslen.  The former star of The Bill, who plays the dynamic Jack Branning won the Best Actor category and was voted Sexiest Male for the second consecutive year.  Charlie Clements, whose character Bradley Branning, fell to his shocking death in the live episode won Best Exit, holding off stiff competition from Jamie Lomas demise in Hollyoaks.  Finally, the evil Archie Mitchell, played by the distinguished Larry Lamb won Best Villain.

With EastEnders storming away with all the key awards, it left the rest fighting over the minor crumbs and comforts.  Like Hollyoaks last year, Emmerdale was nominated in every single category, yet failed to pick up an award.  That was apart from established writer Bill Lyons, who won the Special Achievement Award.  Lyons has been part of the writing team since 1984, and was behind the brains of the dramatic Emmerdale Plane Crash storyline in December 1993, which turned the show’s fortunes around.  For the second consecutive year, Hollyoaks had a tough time of things, as their domination of the 2008 ceremony seems a distant memory.  However, they did win the Most Spectacular Scene award, for the parachute skydiving stunt during its Hollyoaks Later show last October and saw Sarah Barnes (Loui Batley) plunge to her death. 

BBC daytime show Doctors did well again, collecting two awards, for Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor/Actress and Best On-Screen Partnership, which left Coronation Street, normally a traditional frontrunner with a tame three winners.  Michelle Keegan won Sexiest Female and there was a deserved Lifetime Achievement Award for Betty Driver, who is famous for Betty’s hotpots in the Rovers Return.  The most emotional part of the how evening was the fitting tribute to the dearly missed Maggie Jones.  Maggie, who played the hilarious Blanche Hunt, Deirdre Barlow’s mum in Coronation Street passed away last Christmas.  As the VT finished of her video tribute, the whole auditorium stood up in appreciation and applause, with many tears shed for a fantastic icon of Weatherfield.

However, the night firmly belonged as expected to EastEnders.  The other soaps have a lot to do over the next twelve months, to avoid this kind of whitewash from the Walford stars again.   

   

British Soap Awards 2010 - The Nominations

Soap's biggest TV night of the year is coming very soon, with the announcement today of the nominations for the annual bash, The British Soap Awards.  The forces of EastEnders, Emmerdale, Doctors, Hollyoaks and Coronation Street will lock horns once again, to see which soap the public has voted the creme of the crop in the past twelve months.


Below are all the nominations for the nine panel-based categories.  The Best Actor, Best Actresses, Sexiest Male, Sexiest Female and Villian of the Year will be announced on the night (The public have been voting on these awards since February)

Best Comedy Performance

Craig Gazey (Graeme Proctor, Coronation Street)

Nina Wadia (Zainab Masood, EastEnders)

Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk, Emmerdale)

Bronagh Waugh (Cheryl Brady, Hollyoaks)

 

Best Dramatic Performance

Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow, Coronation Street)

Lacey Turner (Stacey Branning, EastEnders)

Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy, Emmerdale)

Glen Wallace (Malachy Fisher, Hollyoaks)

 

Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actrees

Alexander Bain (Simon Barlow, Coronation Street)

Ami Metcalf (Sapphire Cox, Doctors)

Maisie Smith (Tiffany Butcher, EastEnders)

Oscar Lloyd (Will Wylde, Emmerdale)

 

Best Exit

Reece Dinsdale (Joe McIntyre, Coronation Street)

Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning, EastEnders)

Maxwell Caulfield (Mark Wylde, Emmerdale)

Jamie Lomas (Warren Fox, Hollyoaks)

 

Best Newcomer

Sophie Abelson (Cherry Malone, Doctors)

Marc Elliott (Syed Masood, EastEnders)

Lyndon Ogbourne (Nathan Wylde, Emmerdale)

Bronagh Waugh (Cheryl Brady, Hollyoaks)

 

Best On-Screen Partnership

Katherine Kelly & Simon Gregson (Becky & Steve McDonald, Coronation Street)

Jan Pearson & Chris Walker (Karen & Rob Hollins, Doctors)

Sid Owen & Patsy Palmer (Ricky & Bianca Butcher, EastEnders)

Nick Miles & Nicola Wheeler (Jimmy King & Nicola De Souza, Emmerdale)

 

Best Storyline

Peter's Alcohol Addiction (Coronation Street)

Zara's Revenge (Doctors)

Who Killed Archie Mitchell? (EastEnders)

Aaron's Sexuality (Emmerdale)

 

Spectacular Scene of the Year

Joe Drowns To His Death (Coronation Street)

The Siege (Doctors)

A Car Crashes Through Home Farm Shop (Emmerdale)

Skydiving Disaster/Sarah Plummets To Her Death (Hollyoaks)

 

Best Single Episode

Peter's Drinking Gets Out Of Control (Coronation Street)

'Master Of The Universe' - The Siege (Doctors)

The Live Episode/Archie's Killer Is Revealed (EastEnders)

Aaron Confesses That He Is Gay (Emmerdale)

 

Best British Soap (voted by the viewers)

Coronation Street

Doctors

EastEnders

Emmerdale

Hollyoaks

 

Despite a barrage of criticism from many, it is to many surprise that Emmerdale has the honour this year of earning a nomination in each panel-based category.  It doesn't guarantee success though, as Hollyoaks found out last year, when they had similar treatment, but walked away empty-handed.  Emmerdale has 9 nominations, Coronation Street and EastEnders have been nominated for 8, with daytime soap Doctors scooping 6 nominations and Hollyoaks a disappointing 5.

The awards ceremony will be on Saturday night at BBC Television Centre and will be hosted by This Morning anchorman Phillip Schofield.  The ceremony will be broadcast on ITV1 on Wednesday 19th May, a week later than planned, due to Fulham's involvement in the UEFA Europa League final.

Best of luck to everyone who has been nominated!