EastEnders leads the British Soap Awards nominations with 14 nods as Coronation Street's Anne Kirkbride receives posthumous honour
The nominations for the 2015 British Soap Awards have been revealed, with EastEnders looking to triumph in the battle of the soaps this year.
The BBC soap leads the nods with 14 nominations, while ITV rival Coronation Street is close behind with 13 chances at a prize.
While the shortlist for the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award has yet to to be confirmed, insiders claim Corrie's Anne Kirkbride, who died in January, will receive the prize posthumously with the actress also in the running for the Scene of the Year award.
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Albert Square drama: EastEnders' Kellie Bright (Linda Carter) and Danny Dyer (Mick Carter) have both received nominations at the 2015 British Soap Awards
EastEnders and Coronation Street both have two nominees in the Best Actor category with Albert Square's Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) and Danny Dyer (Mick Carter) up for the prize against Corrie veterans Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) and David Neilson (Roy Cropper), as well as Michael Parr, who plays Ross Barton in Emmerdale.
Soap Awards favourite: Adam Woodyatt has received two nominations for Best Actor and Best On-Screen Partnership with Laurie Brett
Killer plot twist: EastEnder's 30th anniversary, Who Killed Lucy Beale shocker is up for Best Storyline
The Best Actress category - which, like Best Actor, is determined by a 50/50 split of viewer and judge votes, also sees a double nomination for EastEnders with Kellie Bright (Linda Carter) and Laurie Brett (Jane Beale) competing for the gong.
Laurie and Adam Woodyatt also receive recognition in the Best On-screen Partnership category thanks to their scenes during the Who Killed Lucy Beale plot, which has also netted EastEnders a Best Storyline nod.
Emmerdale's Natalie Anderson (Alicia Metcalfe) is also up for the Best Actress award, while the ITV soap has received 12 nominations overall.
Best Actor nod: David Neilson, Roy Cropper in Coronation Street, is up for the viewer voted actor prize
Channel 4's Hollyoaks is in the running for 11 prizes, while daytime favourite Doctors has scooped 10 nominations.
Hollyoak's Twinnie-Lee Moore (Porsche McQueen) is one of five up for the Best Newcomer prize, competing against Sean Ward, who plays Callum in Corrie.
Philip Schofield will host this year's ceremony from Manchester's Palace Theatre on May 16.
Viewer voting is now open for the Best Actor and Best Actress prizes, along with Best British Soap, which is judged entirely by the public.
In the running: Emmerdale's Natalie Anderson (Alicia Metcalfe) is up for Best Actress, while the ITV soap has received 12 nominations overall
Shortlists for Outstanding Achievement, Outstanding Achievement: Off Screen and the Social Impact Award have not been revealed but will be announced on the night.
However, it has been claimed the late Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre in Coronation Street for 42 years, is in the running for the Outstanding Achievement gong.
A source has told The Sun newspaper: 'We couldn't think of anyone more deserving of this award than Anne and that is why we decided to nominate her.
'She was a real Street legend who is still very sorely missed and everyone on the show would love to see her contribution celebrated.If she were to win, it would be completely unprecedented, as the bosses have never given this award to any actor posthumously.'
Posthumous honour: Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street for over 40 years, is thought to be on the shortlist for the Outstanding Achievement award
'ITV know that. But they felt that Anne played such a big part in Corrie for so many years that she deserved to have the rules broken for her.'
Anne died aged 60 in January following a battle with breast cancer.
The beloved actress first arrived on Weatherfield's cobbles as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 1972 and had her fair share of dramatic storylines over the years, including Deidre's torrid affair with Mike Baldwin and being jailed for fraud.
Anne has already received one nomination thanks to her trifle throwing moment, the last time viewers saw Deirdre on screen, which is up for Scene of the Year along with Kathy's (Gillian Taylforth) return to EastEnders and the dramatic train crash in Hollyoaks.
Corrie legend: Anne, with Maggie Jones (Blanche Hunt) and William Roache (Ken Barlow) died aged 60 in January following a battle with breast cancer
Scene stealer: Anne has also been nominated for Scene of the Year thanks to her dramatic last appearance in Coronation Street last October
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3057084/EastEnders-leads-British-Soap-Awards-nominations-14-nods-Coronation-Street-s-Anne-Kirkbride-receives-posthumous-honour.html#ixzz3YX2iuZLz
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