The British Soap Awards have released their shortlist for the public voting categories – Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Soap – and the nominees feature a couple of minor surprises, with EastEnders' Laurie Brett and Emmerdale's Michael Parr among the contenders.
Michael has been a hit on the ITV soap, playing Ross Barton in a pivotal storyline around his ill-fated relationship with cancer sufferer Donna Windsor, while Laurie has been in and out of EastEnders during the past 12 months, although she was one of the outstanding performers during the soap's 30th anniversary celebrations in February.
The nominees in the public voting categories are:
BEST ACTRESS
Kellie Bright – EastEnders' Linda Carter
Nikki Sanderson - Hollyoaks' Maxine Minniver
Natalie Anderson – Emmerdale's Alicia Metcalfe
Laurie Brett – EastEnders' Jane Beale
Alison King - Coronation Street's Carla Connor
BEST ACTOR
David Neilson – Coronation Street's Roy Cropper
Adam Woodyatt – EastEnders' Ian Beale
Michael Parr – Emmerdale's Ross Barton
Simon Gregson – Coronation Street's Steve McDonald
Danny Dyer – EastEnders' Mick Carter
BEST SOAP
Emmerdale
Coronation Steet
Hollyoaks
EastEnders
The soap awards public voting categories went live on Monday morning and you can vote for your favourites here.
The nominees inn the panel voting categories are:
BEST NEWCOMER
Sean Ward – Callum Logan, Coronation Street
Jessica Regan – Niamh Donoghue, Doctors
Davood Ghadami – Kush Kazemi, EastEnders
Ryan Hawley – Robert Sugden, Emmerdale
Twinnie-Lee Moore – Porsche McQueen, Hollyoaks
SCENE OF THE YEAR
Deirdre Throws The Trifle -Coronation Street
Strictly Dancing - Doctors
Kathy Comes Home - EastEnders
Donna’s Goodbye - Emmerdale
The Train Crash - Hollyoaks
BEST COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Sally Dynevor – Sally Webster, Coronation Street
Sarah Moyle – Valerie Pitman, Doctors
Tameka Empson – Kim Fox-Hubbard, EastEnders
Laura Norton - Kerry Wyatt, Emmerdale
Fabrizio Santino – David ‘Ziggy’ Roscoe, Hollyoaks
BEST YOUNG PERFORMANCE
Ellie Leach – Faye Windass, Coronation Street
Jack Carroll – Peter Harker, Doctors
Eliot Carrington – Bobby Beale, EastEnders
Amelia Flanagan – April Windsor, Emmerdale
Ruby O’Donnell - Peri Lomax, Hollyoaks
BEST ON-SCREEN PARTNERSHIP
Sally Dynevor & Joe Duttine - Sally Webster & Tim Metcalfe, Coronation Street
Ian Midlane & Jessica Regan – Al Haskey & Niamh Donoghue, Doctors
Laurie Brett & Adam Woodyatt – Jane & Ian Beale, EastEnders
Verity Rushworth & Michael Parr – Donna Windsor & Ross Barton, Emmerdale
Ellis Hollins & Ruby O’Donnell – Tom Cunningham & Peri Lomax, Hollyoaks
BEST DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE
Simon Gregson – Steve McDonald, Coronation Street
Lorna Laidlaw – Mrs Tembe, Doctors
Kellie Bright – Linda Carter, EastEnders
Natalie Anderson - Alicia Metcalfe, Emmerdale
Keith Rice – Finn O’Connor, Hollyoaks
VILLAIN OF THE YEAR
Sean Ward - Callum Logan, Coronation Street
Daniel Schutzmann – Franc Christophe, Doctors
John Altman – Nick Cotton, EastEnders
Ryan Hawley - Robert Sugden, Emmerdale
Jeremy Sheffield – Patrick Blake, Hollyoaks
BEST STORYLINE
Steve & Michelle, Hearts and Minds, Coronation Street
Kevin and Poppy (Underage Girlfriend), Doctors
Who Killed Lucy? EastEnders
Donna’s Demise, Emmerdale
John Paul’s Rape Ordeal, Hollyoaks
BEST SINGLE EPISODE
Rob’s Confession - Coronation Street
Unfinished Business - Doctors
Episode 5020, Live Episode - EastEnders
Andy goes to the brink - Emmerdale
Ste’s HIV Diagnosis - Hollyoaks
The British Soap Awards will be held in Manchester on Saturday, May 16, and will be screened on ITV during the following week.
