Edinburgh Comedy Awards announces nominees for best comedy show and best newcomer

Edinburgh Fringe acts receive awards recognition

The Edinburgh Comedy Awards nominees have been announced for the best comedy show and best newcomer at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with the winners to be announced on Saturday.

Long-standing Edinburgh Comedy Awards director Nica Burns, has announced the nominees for two of the biggest prizes in live comedy, Sky Best Comedy Show and DLT Entertainment Best Newcomer, celebrating the best up-and-coming comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with the Victoria Wood Award winner also set to be announced on Saturday, August 26, two days before the Fringe ends for this year on Monday.

The winner of Sky Best Comedy Show wins a cash prize of £10,000. While the DLT Entertainment Best Newcomer wins a cash prize of £5,000. And the Victoria Wood Award recipient will also take home £5,000.

The Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2023 nominees, left to right: Phil Ellis, Kieran Hodgson, Julia Magli,Emmanuel Sonubi, Janine Harouni, Ian Smith Front row: Ania Magliano, Ahir Shah. Photo by DMLK Video.

Nica Burns said of this year’s nominees: “It’s been a brilliantly vibrant year with a very high standard of comedy across the Fringe. Our international, diverse group of shortlisted comedians come from a huge variety of backgrounds and their work embraces every type of comedy from clowning to pure stand- up, with many variations along the way. What they all do is make people laugh.”

This year’s nominees for Sky Best Comedy Show are: Ahir Shah: Ends at Monkey Barrel Comedy - Monkey Barrel 3; Ania Magliano: I Can’t Believe You’ve Done This at Pleasance Courtyard - Beyond; Emmanuel Sonubi: Curriculum Vitae at Underbelly - Dairy Room; Ian Smith: Crushing at Monkey Barrel Comedy - Monkey Barrel 1; Janine Harouni: Man’oushe at Pleasance Courtyard - Beneath; Julia Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha at Monkey Barrel Comedy - Monkey Barrel 4; Kieran Hodgson: Big In Scotland at Pleasance Courtyard - Beyond; Phil Ellis’s Excellent Comedy Show at Monkey Barrel Comedy - Hive 2.

This year’s nominees for DLT Entertainment Best Newcomer are: Bill O’Neill: The Amazing Banana Brother at Pleasance Courtyard - Beside; Dan Tiernan: Going Under at Monkey Barrel Comedy - Monkey Barrel 2; Lindsey Santoro: Pink Tinge at Pleasance Courtyard - The Attic; Louise Young: Feral at Pleasance Courtyard - Bunker One; Martin Urbano: Apology Comeback Tour at Pleasance Courtyard - Bunker Three; Paddy Young: Hungry, Horny, Scared at Pleasance Courtyard - Above; Urooj Ashfaq: Oh No! at Assembly George Square - The Crate.

Adnan Ahmed, chair and producer at Sky Studios said: “The panel is delighted to announce such a strong list of funny shows; we’ve been wowed by the levels of joy and invention displayed by all of the performers and can’t wait to crown two worthy winners.”

The 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Awards judging panel, made up of eight leading industry professionals and two passionate comedy fans representing the public, judged some 500 shows. They are: Adnan Ahmed, chair and producer, Sky Studios; Stephen Armstrong: comedy and culture critic, The Sunday Times; Andy Brereton: senior commissioning editor, comedy, Channel 4; Liz Daramola: creator in residence, Baby Cow Productions; Gwyn Rhys Davies: executive producer, BBC Studios, Audio; Rachael Healy: comedy critic and culture writer, The Guardian; Dominic Maxwell: comedy and theatre critic, The Times; Anya Ryan: freelance comedy and theatre critic, The Guardian, Time Out, The Stage, BBC Three; members of the public Alex Caven and Jane Dempsey.