Nominations Announced: Radio Times Audience Award

London, 24 March 2015: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has today announced the shortlist of nominated programmes for this year’s Radio Times Audience Award, the only award voted for by the British public at the upcoming House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards on Sunday 10 May.

The nominations are:

• Cilla
• EastEnders
• Game of Thrones
• The Great British Bake Off
• The Missing  
• Sherlock
• Strictly Come Dancing  

The Radio Times Audience Award rewards programmes that have captured audiences’ imaginations, got the nation talking and have become must-watch television over the past year. A panel of leading media and entertainment journalists collated the shortlist, which this year champions British drama, entertainment and soap opera.  

From Tuesday 24 March until Thursday 7 May (16.00) members of the public will have the opportunity to vote for the Radio Times Audience Award at www.radiotimes.com/bafta.

Ben Preston, Editor of Radio Times, said: “This year's shortlist showed British television was in the rudest of health. Nothing gets the nation talking like television – and 2014 was truly a vintage year. This shortlist shows we're living in a golden era for British drama: an outstanding Sheridan Smith celebrating Cilla; the triumphant return of Sherlock; EastEnders rejuvenated with great new characters; the compelling and truly haunting The Missing; and Game of Thrones, jam-packed with British stars. 2014 was also the year when Bake Off switched channels and got millions more people obsessed with cakes  – and when Strictly's all-female presenting line-up put a new spring in the show's step. But which of the seven shows deserves to win? Now it’s up to the public to decide…”

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, added: “The seven shortlisted programmes showcase an excellent and diverse range of television from last year. Every programme on the list has given us something to talk about so the public will have a hard choice ahead of them as they decide who to vote the winner. I can’t wait to see who it will be on Sunday 10 May.”

The nominations for the House of Fraser British Academy Television awards will be announced on Wednesday 8 April.

The winner of the Radio Times Audience Award will be announced at the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards on Sunday 10 May. 

For further information, please contact:

Nick Baxter / Dan Maynard at freuds
T: 0203 003 6658 / 6649

E: [email protected]

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For accreditation, free photography, BAFTA logos, press releases and more visit www.bafta.org/press

About the Radio Times Audience Award nominations:

www.radiotimes.com/bafta

@RadioTimes #BAFTATV 

Cilla

Cilla is the true story of how Priscilla White, a young Liverpudlian typist from a working class family with dreams of stardom, was transformed into Cilla Black – a chart-topping singing sensation and national icon. The drama charts her rocky journey from humble beginnings, and the drive and determination that propelled her to the top. At the heart of the story are her relationships with young charmer, Bobby Willis, who fell head over heals in love with her, and Brian Epstein, The Beatles’ impresario who recognised her talent and guided her to initial success. Set to a backdrop of the energetic 1960s Merseybeat scene of post-war Liverpool, this drama reveals the challenges that Cilla overcame, both in her personal and professional life – and the role of the two men to whom much of her success can be attributed.

EastEnders

EastEnders has been broadcasting for 30 years (it celebrated its 30th anniversary in February 2015). Set in the East End of London, it explores through its multi-ethnic cast, every facet of modern British life, with stories ranging from hard-hitting social issues, to personal, human tragedy, and light character comedy.

Game of Thrones

The quest for power gains momentum in the fourth season of the epic fantasy drama as we rejoin the various factions vying for the Iron Throne. No one's position is secure, though: despite wiping out their Stark rivals in the world's least joyous wedding, the Lannisters are fast becoming their own worst enemy, and is Daenerys, the Mother of Dragons, starting to lose control of her secret weapons? Plus, a new player enters the game in the form of the Lion-loathing Oberyn Martell, also known as the Red Viper of Dorne (Pedro Pascal, The Good Wife).

The Great British Bake Off

This fifth series was Bake Off’s first outing on BBC ONE, and an indisputable hit – a staggering twelve million viewers watched the final. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins presented with trademark humour and irreverence, while Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood scrutinised the contestants’ outstanding bakes. This year’s bakers were the most diverse in age yet, from Martha, Bake Off’s youngest ever contestant, to Diana, a WI stalwart in her late 70s. Each week they took on a new set of challenges, from vast biscuit structures and a twenty-layered sponge, to nail biting showstoppers, including three tiered pies and Baked Alaska… While the competition keeps audiences on the edge of their seats, and the humour and general bonhomie has made this series popular viewing for all ages, The Great British Bake Off is above all a celebration of the nation’s home baking; this series’ champion was Nancy, a grandmother who’s been baking for forty years… 

The Missing

When five year-old Oliver disappears while on holiday in France, it sets off a manhunt that will last for years and years to come. The Missing takes you inside the mind of a father, Tony, desperate to find his lost son.

Strictly Come Dancing

In the middle of its 14-week run, Strictly upped sticks to the Vegas of the North to bring viewers another live dance extravaganza from Blackpool Tower Ballroom. With backing dancers, a live band, supersize props and an audience of over one thousand, the stage was set for nine couples to make their bid to get through to the next round. The show starts with a floor-filling group routine based on the dream of dancing at Blackpool. This is followed by nine superb dances, with each couple delivering their very best performances, reflected in the glowing comments from our judges.

Sherlock

Two years after the devastating events of The Reichenbach Fall, Dr John Watson has got on with his life. New horizons and romance beckon in the shape of the beautiful and smart Mary Morstan. But Sherlock Holmes is about to rise from the grave. And even though it’s what his best friend wanted more than anything, for John Watson it might well be a case of ‘be careful what you wish for!’ In three brand new adventures, Sherlock and John face baffling mystery beneath the streets of London – a wedding that’s not quite what it seems and the arrival of the repellent and terrifying blackmailer Charles Augustus Magnussen. Who is the mysterious disappearing man? How can a Royal Guardsman bleed to death in a locked room? And what is the secret that threatens to blow apart everything the reunited friends hold dear? Sherlock is back, but will things ever be the same again?