HUMOR AWARD NOMINEES

The first American Comedy Awards, an event dedicated to all forms of comedy, will take place May 19 at 6 p.m. at the Hollywood Palladium and will be broadcast nationally by ABC, it was announced Thursday.

The program, established to recognize top comedic performers, will focus on the accomplishments of comedians in 14 categories.

Produced by George Schlatter, the two-hour show will also honor writer-producer Norman Lear for his lifetime contribution to the field of comedy.

A similar type of comedy awards program was staged in the late 1970s by an organization calling itself the American Academy of Humor, with which comedian Alan King was associated. After two shows, the program disappeared.

For the new endeavor, nominations and suggestions were solicited in letter form from about 1,600 performers, producers, directors, writers, talent bookers and entertainment industry executives. Organizers said 700 of those people will vote on the winners.

Here is the list of nominees announced Thursday.

Funniest Male Performer of the Year: Woody Allen, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams.

Funniest Female Performer of the Year: Carol Burnett, Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Betty White.

TV Series, Funniest Male: Johnny Carson, “The Tonight Show”; Ted Danson, “Cheers”; Michael J. Fox, “Family Ties”; Pee-wee Herman, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse”; David Letterman, “Late Night With David Letterman.”

TV Series, Funniest Female: Bea Arthur, “Golden Girls”; Julia Duffy, “Newhart”; Estelle Getty, “Golden Girls”; Shelley Long, “Cheers”; Betty White, “Golden Girls.”

Motion Picture, Funniest Male: Woody Allen, “Hannah and Her Sisters”; Rodney Dangerfield, “Back To School”; Danny DeVito, “Ruthless People”; Tom Hanks, “Nothing In Common”; Steve Martin, “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Motion Picture, Funniest Female: Whoopi Goldberg, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”; Ellen Greene, “Little Shop of Horrors”; Goldie Hawn, “Wildcats”; Bette Midler, “Ruthless People”; Dianne Wiest, “Hannah and Her Sisters.”

Funniest Stand-Up Comic, Male: Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams.

Funniest Stand-Up Comic, Female: Elayne Boosler, Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler, Joan Rivers, Lily Tomlin.

Funniest TV Star in a Special, Male or Female: Carol Burnett, “Fresno”; George Carlin, “On Location”; Billy Crystal, “On Location: Billy Crystal”; Garry Shandling, “25th Anniversary Special”; Robin Williams, “An Evening At The Met.”

Funniest Record and/or Video, Male, Female or Group: Dan Aykroyd, “Best of Dan Aykroyd”; George Carlin, “Playing With Your Head”; Whoopi Goldberg, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”; Steve Martin, “Little Shop of Horrors”; Bette Midler, “Mud Will Be Flung Tonight.”

Funniest Newcomer, Male or Female: ALF, “ALF”; Mark Linn Baker, “Perfect Strangers”; Roseanne Barr, “The Tonight Show”; Woody Harrelson, “Cheers”; Sam Kineson, “Rodney Dangerfield’s Young Comedians.”

Lifetime Achievement Award, Male: Steve Allen, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters.

Lifetime Achievement Award, Female: Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, Mary Tyler Moore, Lily Tomlin.