Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

A disabled character from the controversial cartoon series has made it onto the shortlist of the .

The character, Timmy, has learning difficulties and is a wheelchair user. Pictured here, he's most likely to be seen getting into scrapes with the guys in the school yard and most likely to be heard saying his name very loudly: "Timmmmaaayyyy". His vocabulary is not huge, but his voice is expressive and clearly shows he's very much 'on the ball'.

So. Why is South Park being honoured, you might ask? Many will be surprised to see this apparently foul-mouthed toon in RADAR's nominations. The show has angered many minority and political groups in the past, most notably when it . It caused the voice of Chef, the late Isaac Hayes, to quit the show after 9 years; he felt it unfairly misrepresented his religion.

When it comes to issues around disability, it seems the show is knowledgeable and spot on with its empowering portrayals and subject handling. It has featured Timmy in sophisticated storylines where South Park townsfolk were disgusted that a rock band had made a disabled boy its lead singer - . Challenging a few precious clichés, the cartoon promoted the idea that disabled people should be as out and proud as everyone else.

South Park has another disabled character too: Jimmy. A crutches user, he has a speech impediment, and is the town's most popular schoolboy comedian - a great parody of motivational disabled orators. We often see Timmy and Jimmy together.

In another episode, Krazy Kripples, we see the self-defined 'crips' Timmy and Jimmy accidentally getting involved with the notoriously violent streetgang of the same name ... with all the hilarious consequences you'd expect.

Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone really seem to 'get' disability, and have been involved in the excellent film featuring the team, who we talked to for the Ouch Podcast in May 2008, which we recorded in New York. It's a road trip with learning disabled news interviewers who approach members of the public with a mike and a camera, and ask them questions which seem to phase them in a way that only 'learnies' can do to people who know no better. It's beautiful. And a new series is coming to MTV soon.

Great to see Timmy finally getting recognition in the awards that used to be 'The disabled people of the year'. He appears in the category 'media award for fictional programming' and is up against: fraternal down syndrome drama Coming Down the Mountain (Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú1), Recovery, starring David Tennant (Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú1), and Justin Fletcher in Something Special (CBeebies)

Some readers might wonder why Timmy is on the list this year as the character has been around since the year 2000 and is now arguably less well known. RADAR's Communications Officer Aidan Hargitt uninspiringly told us: "I think the main reason he hasn't been nominated before is because nobody has thought about it ... They are old, yes, but as they're still being shown, the effect of their portrayal of Timmy is still relevant".

* The gala award ceremony will be held on Monday 1st December at Battersea Evolution in London.