Saturday saw the Fosters Comedy Awards declare three new winners. Bridget Christie ( A Bic For Her at The Stand) won the Fosters Best Comedy Show Award , Best Newcomer went to John Kearns (Sight Gag for Perverts at The Voodoo Rooms) and the Panel Prize was awarded to Adrienne Truscott (Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It: A One-Lady Rape About Comedy Starring Her Pussy and Little Else!, Heroes@Bob’s Book Shop).
Also Saturday morning came the news of more Herald Award winners. Herald Angels were given to Brand New Ancients (Traverse), Smashed (Assembly), Rant (Acoustic Music Centre @ St Bride’s), A Thousand Kisses Deep (British Vocal Jazz Festival @ Le Monde), Christophe Roussett Harpsichord, Les Talas Lyriques (EIF). A second Little Devil Award for overcoming adversity and embracing the spirit of the Fringe went to Hag (Underbelly).
The Allen Wright Awards for journalism were also announced today. The Allen Wright Award encourages quality writing about the arts and is open to young journalists up to the age of 30. It recognises the contribution made by Allen Wright to encourage young journalists in his 30 years as Arts Editor at The Scotsman newspaper. This year Evan Beswick (Fest) won the award for Best Review and Lyle Brennan (Fest) for Best News and Features.
The Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards were established in 2005 in memory of the comedian, one of the most anarchic figures of his era and godfather to a generation of emerging talent. The award has three categories; Adrienne Truscott won the Award for Comic Originality, Barry Ferns claimed the Cunning Stunt Award for best publicity stunt, and Gareth Ellis (and Richard Rose) won the Pound of Flesh Award.