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24 May 2022

Heartstopper, Joe Locke, and Kit Connor score NTA nominations

There's plenty of LGBTQ talent across the National Television Award nominations.

By Alastair James

Words: Alastair James; pictures: Netflix

Heartstopper and its stars Joe Locke and Kit Connor are among the amazing LGBTQ talent who have been nominated for the National Television Awards (NTA) 2022.

The hit Netflix show about two LGBTQ high-schoolers falling in love is up for New Drama, while its young stars are both named in the Rising Star category.

Achieving a rare 100 percent approval rating on the review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes, Heartstopper has been celebrated the world over for its positive portrayal of young LGBTQ love.

“Omg what !!!!!”

Reacting to the news on Tuesday (24 May) Joe Locke, who plays Charlie Spring in the show tweeted: “Omg what !!!!!” 

Meanwhile, Kit Connor, who plays Nick Nelson played it cool saying: “this is really cool”

It was announced last week that the second and third seasons of the show had been green lit meaning there’s plenty more Heartstopper to come.

Based on Alice Oseman’s popular web-comic, which currently has four volumes with the fifth and final volume expected to be released later this year.

The first season of the show was largely based on the first two volumes and Oseman herself has already said (ahead of the announcement last week) that any future seasons would follow on from the rest of her volumes. 

LGBTQ talent is strongly represented across the NTA awards this year.

Alongside Heartstopper in the New Drama category is the medical drama, This Is Going To Hurt (starring Ben Whishaw) and the detective show, The Long Call (starring Ben Aldridge). 

Both actors have also been nominated in the Drama Performance category alongside Bridgerton‘s Jonathan Bailey. Bridgerton is up for Returning Drama as is Gentleman Jack. 

RuPaul is up for Talent Show Judge and Drag Race UK for Talent Show. 

Graham Norton, Alan Carr, Philip Schofield, and Tom Allen are among the 54 nominees for Presenter. While Tan France’s Tan France: Beauty and the Bleach and Will Young’s Will Young: Losing my Twin Rupert are in the Authored Documentary category.

And Netflix’s Sex Education is in the Comedy race.

A full list of nominees can be found here.

The National Television Awards 2022 will be hosted by Joel Dommett Live from Wembley’s OVO Arena on Thursday 15 September 2022.

The Attitude May/June issue is out now.

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