Twenty Twelve has trumped The Thick of It at the shortlisting stage of this year's British Comedy awards, with individual nods for three of its leading actors.

The two programmes will compete for best sitcom against Sky1's Hunderby and the BBC's Rev, but the cast of John Morton's mockumentary about the buildup to the London 2012 Olympics fare better than The Thick of It's actors. Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes and Olivia Colman are all nominated for their performances in Twenty Twelve – with Colman becoming the first person to receive two nominations in a single category after being shortlisted for the BBC's Rev as well.

Meanwhile, Peter Capaldi and Rebecca Front are up for best TV comedy actor and actress respectively for The Thick of It.

Elsewhere, Harry Hill's sideways look at the week's television, TV Burp, received three nominations following its final series. The former Perrier award winner, who has been nominated for a record seventh consecutive year, is in the running for best male television comic, best comedy entertainment personality and best comedy entertainment programme.

Hill said: "I am thrilled that my personality has been deemed entertaining enough to be nominated for a British Comedy award, particularly in this, the last year of TV Burp, and when I next see it I will be certain to let it know. It would be the icing on the cake if it won – but no pressure."

Jonathan Ross will once again host the ceremony, which will broadcast live on Channel 4 on 12 December. A public vote will see the third king or queen of comedy crowned with Sarah Millican, Jack Whitehall and David Mitchell among those in contention.

Sketch duo Cardinal Burns – Seb Cardinal and Dustin Demri-Burns – and Morgana Robinson will be the favourites in the breakthrough artist category, as they also go up against Fonejacker and Horrible Histories for best sketch show. However, ventriloquist Nina Conti has nominations in two categories for her comedy documentary Make Me Happy: A Monkey's Search for Happiness, which aired on BBC4 in June.

The nominations

Best new comedy programme

Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life

Cardinal Burns

Hunderby

Moone Boy

Best comedy entertainment programme

Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Celebrity Juice

Harry Hill's TV Burp

The Graham Norton Show

Best sketch show

Cardinal Burns

Facejacker

Horrible Histories

Very Important People

Best sitcom

Hunderby

Rev

The Thick of It

Twenty Twelve

Best comedy entertainment personality

Charlie Brooker – Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe

Graham Norton – The Graham Norton Show

Harry Hill – Harry Hill's TV Burp

Stephen Fry – QI

Best TV comedy actor

Hugh Bonneville – Twenty Twelve

Peter Capaldi – The Thick of It

Steve Coogan – Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life

Tom Hollander – Rev

Best TV comedy actress

Jessica Hynes – Twenty Twelve

Olivia Colman – Rev

Olivia Colman – Twenty Twelve

Rebecca Front – The Thick of It

Best comedy breakthrough artist

David Rawle – Moone Boy

Morgana Robinson – Very Important People

Nina Conti – Make Me Happy: A Monkey's Search for Happiness

Seb Cardinal & Dustin Demri-Burns – Cardinal Burns

Best male television comic

David Mitchell – Would I Lie to You

Harry Hill – Harry Hill's TV Burp

Lee Mack – Would I Lie to You

Sean Lock – 8 Out of 10 Cats

Best female television comic

Jo Brand – Have I Got News For You

Nina Conti – Make Me Happy: A Monkey's Search for Happiness

Sarah Millican – The Sarah Millican Television Programme

Sue Perkins – Have I Got News for You

King or queen of comedy (public vote)

Alan Carr

David Mitchell

Graham Norton

Jack Whitehall

Lee Mack

Sarah Millican