Toon of glory

Harry Venning's cartoon creation, Clare in the Community, who leapt off the pages of Society Guardian at the end of last year to make her radio debut, has, after just one series, secured a nomination for a prestigious Sony Award.

The awards have propelled the erstwhile animated social worker to new heights, with a nomination in the best comedy category for the six-part sketch show, which was broadcast last year on Radio 4 and is being rerun on Wednesday evenings.

Clare has been a "must read" presence on the pages of Society Guardian for nine years, keeping readers entertained with her frequently misguided interference in other people's lives. In the Radio 4 incarnation, the character is played by comedy actress and Smack the Pony star Sally Phillips.

Clare will be up against some tough competition at the awards, including a new adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but that hasn't stopped Clare's creator basking in the glow of being nominated for an award usually snapped up by established comedy fare such as I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

Venning says of the nomination: "I am really pleased at the success Clare enjoyed on Radio 4, and am deranged with excitement at the prospect of going to the Sony Awards. I'm attempting to lose weight so that the tux makes me look like James Bond rather than one of The Three Tenors - or, indeed, all of them. The BBC has also recognised our achievement and has agreed to pay me and co-writer Dave Ramsden an extra £120 each for series two."

Clare has been commissioned for a second season, scheduled for broadcast in the autumn. The awards ceremony takes place on May 9.