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ED2011 News
Comedy Award shortlists out, with massive eight contenders for Newcomer Prize
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 24 August 2011
More awards news now, and for all those comedy dudes still actively pursuing careers, it’s the biggie. Yes, the Edinburgh Comedy Not Perrier Because Fosters Are The Sponsors Now Even Though They’re Not In The Title Awards*.
As always, there are two gongs here, the overall prize and the Newcomer Award. And here, ladies and gentlemen, are your shortlists for 2011. First up, the main prize, and the following are up for consideration: Adam Riches, Andrew Maxwell, Chris Ramsey, Josie Long, Nick Helm and Sam Simmons.
And then there’s the Newcomer shortlist, which has an unprecedented eight names on it this year, as follows: Cariad Lloyd, The Chris and Paul Show, Hannibal Buress, Holly Walsh, Humphrey Ker, Josh Widdicombe, Thom Tuck and sketch duo Totally Tom.
Commenting on this year’s shortlists, Edinburgh Comedy Awards boss Nica Burns told ThreeWeeks: “This record-breaking year of 505 eligible shows demonstrates the incredible strength of the UK comedy scene, which is bursting with talent both familiar and new, and continues to grow at an astonishing rate. Not only that: in the run-up to this year’s Fringe, everyone was predicting that 2011 would be an exceptional year for newcomers – they were right. With 100 extra newcomer shows to consider, it came as no surprise that the panel was spoilt for choice. This inspired the longest debate in the history of the Newcomer Award, and a second vote. Result: an unprecedented shortlist of eight, all of whom the panel feels should be encouraged, as they clearly have a brilliant future in comedy”.
On the main prize shortlist, she added: “We have a brilliant shortlist for Best Comedy Show; a set of nominees to please differing funny bones – character, political and life-affirming comedy. And most of all – very, very funny. Comedy in the UK is in fantastic shape. This has been a great Edinburgh Festival for comedy”.
The winners will be announced on Saturday lunchtime at the Dovecot Studios.
*The awards’ organisers would like to point out that the word ‘Fosters’ IS in the title of this award, ie it’s the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award, and to be fair the logo accompanying this story sort of proves their point. What we meant was that these awards are not generally referred to as the Foster’s Award in the way everyone called it the Perrier Award when Perrier was the sponsor. It’s all so confusing.
