Little Britain and The Office are two of the UK's biggest recent hits

Little Britain and The Office Christmas Special are up for best TV comedy alongside dark sitcom Nighty Night.

Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams have a joint nomination for TV comedy actor, up against Martin Clunes and The Office's Ricky Gervais.

Nighty Night and Martin Clunes' Doc Martin have three nominations each.

Surreal sketch show Little Britain is now into its second series on BBC Three, and recently achieved record ratings for the digital channel.

Walliams was named best comedy newcomer at the same ceremony last year.

The Office, meanwhile, ended at Christmas with a two-part special after two series and a clutch of awards.

It won best TV comedy series and Gervais won best TV comedy actor at the awards in 2002.

Elsewhere on this year's shortlist, Ant and Dec, Jonathan Ross and Paul Merton will compete to be crowned best comedy entertainment personality.

Martin Clunes' comedy drama Doc Martin is up for three prizes

Ant and Dec are also nominated for best comedy entertainment programme for their Saturday Night Takeaway show. It faces Have I Got News For You? and the duo's other hit show, I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.

Doc Martin, Jonathan Creek and Shameless are in the running for best TV comedy drama, with Doc Martin also shortlisted for best new TV comedy.

Caroline Quentin is up for best TV comedy actress for Life Begins and Von Trapped, facing Nighty Night's Julia Davis and Catherine Tate for The Catherine Tate Show.

Last year, TV presenter Jonathan Ross, comic actor Steve Coogan and impressionist Ronni Ancona all won awards.

The 15th annual British Comedy Awards will be hosted by Ross at ITV's London Studios on the capital's south bank on 22 December.

Best TV comedy actor
Martin Clunes (Beauty/ Doc Martin, ITV1)
Matt Lucas & David Walliams (Little Britain, BBC Two)
Ricky Gervais (The Office - Christmas Special, BBC1)

Best TV comedy actress
Caroline Quentin (Life Begins/ Von Trapped, ITV1)
Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show, BBC Two)
Julia Davis (Nighty Night, BBC Two)

Best comedy entertainment personality
Ant & Dec (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway/ I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!, ITV1)
Jonathan Ross (Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, BBC One)
Paul Merton (Have I Got News For You, BBC One/ Room 101, BBC Two)

Best comedy newcomer
Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show, BBC Two)
James McAvoy (Shameless, Channel 4)
Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding (The Mighty Bosh, BBC Three)

Britain's best new TV comedy of 2004
Doc Martin (Buffalo Productions, ITV1)
Life Begins (Granada, ITV1)
Nighty Night (Baby Cow Productions, BBC Three)

Best TV comedy
Little Britain (BBC2 / BBC Three)
Nighty Night (Baby Cow Productions, BBC Two)
The Office - Christmas Special (BBC One)

Best TV comedy drama
Doc Martin (Buffalo Productions, ITV1)
Jonathan Creek (BBC One)
Shameless (Company Pictures, Channel 4)

Best comedy entertainment programme
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (Granada, ITV1)
Have I Got News For You? (Hat Trick Productions, BBC One)
I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! (LWT Factual, ITV1)

Best international comedy show
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, BBC Four/E4)
Sex And The City (HBO/Channel 4)
The Simpsons (Twentieth Century Fox, BBC Two/Sky One/Channel 4)

Best comedy film
School Of Rock
Shaun Of The Dead
Shrek 2