Empire film awards make terrestrial TV debut
Empire: awards usually attract big-name Hollywood stars
Empire magazine's film awards will be shown on terrestrial television for the first time with Capital Radio breakfast show host and film buff Johnny Vaughan hosting.
Five is to broadcast highlights from the ceremony on March 15, two days after the event takes place, in a bid to boost its credentials as the channel for movie fans. The awards have previously been broadcast on Sky.
Vaughan will follow in the footsteps of Bill Bailey, Richard E Grant and Mariella Frostrup, to host the March 13 ceremony - sponsored by mobile phone company Sony Ericsson.
Colin Kennedy, the editor of Empire, said Vaughan was the natural choice to host the UK's only movie awards that are voted for by the general public, because the radio and TV star "places enormous value on the opinion of the ordinary punter".
Sham Sandhu, the controller of pop features and special events at Five, called the event "one of the highlights of the film calendar" and said the broadcast would consolidate the channel's "growing commitment to showing the best movie-related programming".
Empire magazine's reputation as the UK movie fan's bible means its awards attract some of Hollywood's biggest names. Sigourney Weaver graced the red carpet last year and Hugh Grant and Benicio del Toro have also attended.
mediaguardian
