Popularity awards have been dumped from the annual ASTRA Awards.

The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association awards will focus only on peer-voted categories, like the Emmys and Golden Globes.

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The move away from viewer voted awards is to bring the ASTRA  Awards into line with major entertainment awards around the world, chief executive Andrew Maiden says.

It means only 18 awards will be handed out on the night, down from the original 23.

Mr Maiden also said the ASTRA awards, to be held at the The Star on March 12, will for the first time be decided by industry experts, and include some of the lesser known shows and personalities that would otherwise be overlooked in popularity categories.

“Our thinking is because these awards are for outstanding television they should be judged by outstanding leaders in the industry,” Mr Maiden said.

“We want the ASTRA awards to be like all the other big awards in the international entertainment industry,” he said.

Prison drama Wentworth and psychological thriller Devil’s Playground, which is set in the churches, schools and upper echelons of power in the Australian Catholic Church, have dominated this year’s ASTRA nominations, announced on Tuesday.

They have both received multiple nods, including most outstanding drama.

Golden Globe winner Toni Collette (Devil’s Playground) is up against Wentworth stars Nicole da Silva, Celia Ireland, Pamela Rabe and Danielle Cormack for Most Outstanding Female Actor.

In the Male Actor category, Devil’s Playground trio Andrew McFarlane, Simon Burke and Don Hany are up against Wentworth duo Robbie Magasiva and Aaron Jeffery.

Game Of Thrones heads the list of nominations for Most Outstanding International Drama which also includes The Walking Dead, Gracepoint, The Honourable Woman and Peaky Blinders.

– AAP