Beating Top Of The Lake star Elisabeth Moss for the most outstanding actress at the ASTRA awards on Thursday night would cap off a great year for Nicole da Silva.
The former Rush actress is one of three Wentworth cast members up against Moss, who has won several awards (including a Golden Globe) for her role as Robin Griffin in Top Of The Lake.
The other stars of the SoHo channel's Wentworth lining up for the most outstanding actress award are Danielle Cormack, who plays Bea Smith, and Kris McQuade, who plays Jacs Holt.
Cormack and McQuade were both nominated for AACTAs for their roles in Wentworth, but this is da Silva's first nomination for playing Franky Doyle.
The series has been a hit for Foxtel and has been sold to several networks around the world. A German adaption of Wentworth is now in production.
The series has been the perfect platform for da Silva to finally try her luck in the United States.
In 2013 she visited Los Angeles, where she met agents and managers. She intends to return to LA once filming for the third season wraps up in a few months.
Foxtel ordered the second and third seasons of Wentworth to be filmed in quick succession, leaving da Silva free to chase her US dream later this year.
"I have representation in the US now, so I can start treading the boards and pounding the pavement and see what happens," an upbeat da Silva told AAP.
"Having a third season means I've got work for the next six months, I'm so excited.
"It means my rep in the US has something to go on the back of."
The leading actress honour is not the only category in which Wentworth and Top Of The Lake go head-to-head at the ASTRAs (the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association awards).
Aaron Jeffrey and Robbia Magsiva, who play prison guards in Wentworth, are up against Top Of The Lake duo Peter Mullan and David Wenham in the most outstanding actor category.
Mullan and Wenham have been nominated for other awards multiple times for their roles in the Jane Campion-directed series, but have not won.
The two dramas are the only nominations for Most Outstanding Drama, one of 15 industry-voted awards to be handed out at Sydney's Carriageworks on Thursday.
"It's a privilege to be on Foxtel and pay-TV because they push the boundaries more, which is always a good thing for an artist," da Silva said.
"The fact Wentworth was so well received was an enormous achievement for Foxtel when it makes up such a small percentage of the viewing population."
There are five viewer-nominated awards, the inaugural channel achievement award, channel of the year and an award to be given posthumously to Charlotte Dawson, who died last month, for her contribution to the pay-TV industry.
The 12th annual ASTRAs will feature Days Of Our Lives stars Kristian Alfonso (who plays Hope Brady) and Shawn Christian (Dr Daniel Jonas).
Joining Alfonso and Christian at the event are Crystal Reed, who plays Allison Argent in the Fox8 TV series Teen Wolf, and Scottish historian Neil Oliver, who hosts Coast Australia.
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