High-profile writers from the worlds of TV, film, theatre, radio, books, poetry and videogames have been regulars at this annual, red-carpet event through its 50-year history.

The Awards, which launched in 1961, give professional writers from across Great Britain the opportunity to honour their peers, and celebrate the importance of writing to the creative industries, both nationally and abroad.

A special award for outstanding contribution to writing and writers is presented every year.

“As a long-standing member of the Writers’ Guild I am delighted to be presenting the WGGB Awards,” said Sandi Toksvig (pictured above). “I am looking forward to an evening of fun and fanfare.”

The shortlist in 13 categories is as follows:

TV Drama – Long Form
Line of Duty (Jed Mercurio), Happy Valley (Sally Wainwright), Peaky Blinders (Steven Knight)

TV Drama – Short Form
The Great Train Robbery (Chris Chibnall), Turks & Caicos (David Hare), Marvellous (Peter Bowker)

TV Drama – Long Running Series
Doctors, Series 15, Episode 66 “Silver on the Heath” (Toby Walton), Holby City, Series 16, Episode 13 “Self Control” (Rebecca Wojciechowski), Doctors, Series 16, Episode 42 “Boiling Point” (Dale Overton)

TV Situation Comedy
Up the Women (Jessica Hynes), Him and Her (Stefan Golaszewski), House of Fools (Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer)

Best Children’s TV Script
Bye Bye (Denise Cassar and the Bing Writing team), Wizards Versus Aliens: The Thirteenth Floor part 2 (Phil Ford), Strange Hill High: MCDXX Men (Mark Oswin & James Griffiths)

Radio Drama
A Night Visitor (Stephanie Jacob), Magpie (Lee Mattinson), Dangerous Visions: The Bee Maker (Anita Sullivan)

Radio Comedy
Helen Keen’s It is Rocket Science (Helen Keen & Miriam Underhill), The Brig Society (Marcus Brigstoke with Jeremy Salsby, Toby Davies, Nick Doody, Dan Tetsell & Steve Punt), John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme (John Finnemore)

Best First Novel
The Shock of the Fall (Nathan Filer), A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing (Eimear McBride), Barbarians (Tim Glencross)

Best Writing in a Video Game
A Machine for Pigs (Dan Pinchbeck), 80 Days (Meg Jayanth), Schrödinger’s Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark (Kevin Beimers)

Best First Screenplay
Pride (Stephen Beresford), The Selfish Giant (Clio Barnard), Starred Up (Jonathan Asser)

Best Screenplay
Filth (Jon S Baird), Metro Manila (Sean Ellis & Frank E Flowers), Philomena (Jeff Pope & Steve Coogan)

Best Play
James I (Rona Munro), Visitors (Barney Norris), Dr Scroggy’s War (Howard Brenton)

Best Play for Young Audiences
Minotaur (Kevin Dyer), The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Mike Kenny), Girls Like That (Evan Placey)

Sandi Toksvig photo: WGGB/Guy Cragoe