ED2014 Comedy ED2014 News

Edinburgh’s comedy award frenzy

By | Published on Wednesday 20 August 2014

Edinburgh Comedy Award

So, it’s busy busy on the comedy awards front as the Fringe reaches its final furlong, with the Edinburgh Comedy Award shortlists published just this afternoon. And in the running for the main prize this year are no less than Alex Horne, James Acaster, John Kearns, Liam Williams, Romesh Ranganathan, Sam Simmons and Sara Pascoe.

Meanwhile up for the newcomer prize are Alex Edelman, Dane Baptiste (read a column from him here) Gein’s Family Giftshop (read a mini interview from them here), Lazy Susan, Lucy Beaumont and Steen Raskopoulos.

Confirming all this earlier today, Edinburgh Comedy Awards boss Nica Burns told reporters: “For the second year running, reflecting the huge amount of diverse comedy talent at the Fringe, the shortlist for the Best Comedy Show is seven strong.  Between them, these outstanding performers reach every funny bone. Unprecedentedly three 2013 Best Newcomers – John Kearns, Liam Williams and Romesh Ranganathan – have graduated to the Best Comedy Show shortlist in only a year. The Edinburgh Fringe continues to launch the comedy stars of tomorrow”.

And as for this year’s newcomer noms, she continued: “The shortlist for the newcomers is exceptionally strong with a wealth of talent from stand up to character comedy and sketch. A truly international and UK wide list featuring acts from Australia, America, Manchester and Hull”.

The overall winners for both awards, and the Panel Prize, will be announced on Saturday. Elsewhere in comedy award news, the winner of this year’s previously reported Amused Moose Laughter Award was selected at theSpace @ Symposium Hall on Sunday, with Celia Pacquola taking the overall prize and Chris Turner getting the People’s Choice Award.

You can read our interview with Pacquola here and a column from Turner here; meanwhile on her Amused Moose win Pacquola told ThreeWeeks: “I’m really stunned, thrilled and excited. It was very unexpected and I’m looking forward to trying to get my pointy, dangerous Moose trophy through airport security”.

And finally for now, as you probably all already know, because blimey doesn’t this one get a lot of mainstream media coverage, Tim Vine took the Dave Award for best one-liner of the Festival with this gag: “I decided to sell my Hoover… well it was just collecting dust”.

And that, I think, is enough comedy award news for now.



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