Edinburgh Television Festival Unveils TV Awards Shortlist

The Edinburgh Television Festival has revealed the shortlist of nominations for this year’s Edinburgh TV Awards, which will be hosted by comedian Frank Skinner.

The channel of the year nominees are BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, ITV, Channel 5 and ITV2, while specialist channel of the year contenders are BBC Four, Sky Arts, CBBC and CNN International.

Up for production company of the year are CPL Productions, Studio Lambert, Big Talk Productions, Kudos, World Productions and ITN Productions.

Best breakthrough talent nominees are Daisy and Charlie Cooper (BBC Three), Jack Rowan (Channel 4), Rodney P (BBC), Daniel Lawrence Taylor (ITV2), Rachel Parris (Channel 4) and Letitia Wright (Netflix/Channel 4).

In the running for best comedy series are This Country (BBC Studios), Derry Girls (Hat Trick), Peter Kay’s Car Share (Goodnight Vienna), Inside No.9 (BBC Studios), People Just Do Nothing (Roughcut TV) and GameFace (Objective Media Group).

The entertainment series category includes Celebs Go Dating (Lime Pictures), Love Island (ITV Studios, Motion Content Group), The Graham Norton Show (So Television), Taskmaster Series 5 (Avalon Productions), Gogglebox (Studio Lambert) and Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Capsule (CPL Productions).

Nominees for best popular factual series are Coastal Railway Journeys with Julie Walters (Alaska TV), No More Boys and Girls (Outline Productions), Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds (CPL Productions), The Real Full Monty: Ladies Night (Spun Gold), Cruising with Jane McDonald (Elephant House Productions) and Portrait Artist of the Year (Storyvault Films).

The documentary program nominations are for Blue Planet II (BBC Studios NHU, BBC Worldwide), Louis Theroux: Dark States, Heroin Town (BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit), Raped: My Story (Lambent Productions), Grenfell Tower: Minute by Minute (ITN Productions), Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story (Fulwell 73, Darke Films, Black Sun Media) and James Bulger: A Mother’s Story (Optomen).

Up for best U.K. drama are Peaky Blinders (Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions), Murdered for Being Different (BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit), Three Girls (BBC Studios, Studio Lambert), Save Me (World Productions), The End of the F***** World (Clerkenwell Films) and Line of Duty (World Productions).

Best international drama nods were given to The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (Fox 21 Television Studios, Plan B Entertainment, Ryan Murphy Productions), The Handmaid’s Tale, (MGM, Hulu), The Crown (Left Bank Pictures), Game of Thrones, (HBO, Bighead, Littlehead, 360 Television, Startling Television), Big Little Lies (HBO, David E. Kelly Productions, Pacific Standard, Blossom Films) and Tin Star (Kudos).

Skinner commented: “Having finally reached that plane of consciousness from which I can watch others winning things and feel no pain, I am, at last, ready to host the Edinburgh TV Awards. And what host could ask for a better wind beneath his wings than an audience of TV executives? I cannot wait.”

Lisa Campbell, festival director, added: “Judging has been especially tough this year with the introduction of our new categories and the breadth of talent, creativity and downright compelling viewing that has graced our screens. Good luck to all of our nominees!”