TV Choice Awards 2014 shortlist: Benedict Cumberbatch and David Tennant do battle

The actors score Best Actor nominations for Sherlock and The Escape Artist

Benedict Cumberbatch and David Tennant are going head to head for the Best Actor accolade at this year’s TV Choice Awards.

The two leading actors are competing following acclaimed roles in BBC detective drama Sherlock and three-part thriller The Escape Artist respectively, with Allen Leech and Bradley Walsh also shortlisted.

In the Best Actress category, Call the Midwife’s Judy Parfitt is up against Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt, while Coronation Street and EastEnders are the top contenders for Best Soap.

Doing battle for Best Drama Series are Sherlock, Waterloo Road, Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey, with The Crimson Field, The Musketeers, The Widower and Happy Valley recognised in the Best New Drama section.

The TV Choice Awards also bestow a prize on Best International Show which this year sees hit fantasy series Game of Thrones and post-apocalyptic drama The Walking Dead nominated.

The Best Entertainment Show category will see Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway fight Googlebox and Celebrity Juice for an award, while The Great British Bake Off, Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor are up for Best Talent Show.

The 18th annual ceremony, hosted by comedian David Mitchell is set to take place in London on Monday 8 September. The final winners are decided by the viewing public, who can vote for their favourite talent online.

Shortlist 2014 in full

Best Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock

Allen Leech, Downton Abbey

David Tennant, The Escape Artist

Bradley Walsh, Law & Order: UK

Best Actress

Laurie Brett, Waterloo Road

Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey

Sarah Lancashire, Happy Valley

Judy Parfitt, Call the Midwife

Best Drama Series

Call the Midwife

Downton Abbey

Sherlock

Waterloo Road

Best New Drama

Happy Valley

The Crimson Field

The Musketeers

The Widower

Best Entertainment Show

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

Celebrity Juice

Gogglebox

The Graham Norton Show

Best Reality Show

24 Hours in A&E

Big Brother/Celebrity Big Brother

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Made in Chelsea

Best Comedy

Bad Education

Benidorm

Birds of a Feather

Derek

Best Talent Show

Britain's Got Talent

Strictly Come Dancing

The Great British Bake Off

The X Factor

Best International Show

The Big Bang Theory

Game of Thrones

Modern Family

The Walking Dead

Best Factual Entertainment & Lifestyle Show

Educating Yorkshire

One Born Every Minute

The Call Centre

The Supervet

Best Daytime Show

Pointless

The Jeremy Kyle Show

The Paul O'Grady Show

This Morning

Best Food Show

Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking

Mary Berry Cooks

Saturday Kitchen

The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure

Best Soap Actor

Danny Dyer as Mick Carter, EastEnders

David Neilson as Roy Cropper, Coronation Street

Kieron Richardson as Ste Hay, Hollyoaks

Adam Woodyatt as Ian Beale, EastEnders

Best Soap Actress

Lindsey Coulson as Carol Jackson, EastEnders

Julie Hesmondhalgh as Hayley Cropper, Coronation Street

Michelle Keegan as Tina McIntyre, Coronation Street

Nikki Sanderson as Maxine Minniver, Hollyoaks

Best Soap Newcomer

Maddy Hill as Nancy Carter, EastEnders

Michael Parr as Ross Barton, Emmerdale

Kirsty-Leigh Porter as Leela Lomax, Hollyoaks

Sam Strike as Johnny Carter, EastEnders

Best Soap Storyline

Hayley's cancer, Coronation Street

Killer Cameron/The Woolpack siege, Emmerdale

Maxine and Patrick's domestic abuse, Hollyoaks

Who killed Lucy Beale?, EastEnders

Best Soap

Coronation Street

EastEnders

Emmerdale

Hollyoaks