These awards are open to comedy shows – please see the details of each award for entry specifics and sub-genres.
Amused Moose Comedy Award
The Amused Moose Comedy Awards seeks out breakthrough comedy talent that is yet to become well known but could be said to be 'almost television-ready', who have their own solo, sketch or multiple performer comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
2023 award winners
- Amused Moose Comedy Award – Debut Show
Louise Atkinson: Mates (Gilded Balloon)
- Amused Moose Comedy Award – Most Fun Edinburgh Fringe comedy show
Dave Bibby: Baby Dinosaur (PBH's Free Fringe)
- Amused Moose Comedy Award – Most Entertaining Edinburgh Fringe comedy show
Simon David: Dead Dad Show (Underbelly)
The Comedian's Choice Awards, presented by British Comedy Guide
Best Show, Best Performer and Best Person, as determined by those involved in comedy shows.
All comedy shows and performers are automatically eligible for Best Show and Best Performer – no need to do anything to put yourself forward. Best Person tends to be for someone who works behind the scenes at the festival, eg a venue manager, flyerer or agent. Each comedy show in the brochure is invited to vote once for their favourite show, performer and person. You can't vote for anyone in your own show.
In the second half of the festival, the online nominations / voting form is made available online. When voting closes, the show / person will the most votes at that point is announced as the winner of that category.
Visit comedy.co.uk for more information.
2023 award winners
- Best Show
Julia Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (Monkey Barrel) - Best Performer
Sid Singh performing in Sid Singh: Table for One (Laughing Horse) - Best Person
Lydia Mason
This award was presented posthumously. Mason, a producer with Laughing Horse Free Festival, died unexpectedly during the Fringe, following a short illness.
The Comedy Poster Awards, presented by British Comedy Guide
Recognising the best artwork related to comedy shows at the festival. Any poster related to a comedy show performing at the festival can be entered. The winner of the Audience Award is whichever poster gets the most votes on the website. The Panel Award is determined by a jury of industry professionals.
2023 award winners
- Audience Award Winner
Daniel Foxx's Villain, designed and photographed by Jiksaw.
- Panel Award Winner
Bennett Arron's poster for Loser, designed and photographed by the comic himself.
Dave's Joke of the Fringe
2023 award winner
- "I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah." Lorna Rose Treen.
Runners up
- "The most British thing I've ever heard? A lady who said 'Well I'm sorry, but I don't apologise.'" Liz Guterbock.
- "Last year I had a great joke about inflation. But it's hardly worth it now." Amos Gill.
- "When women gossip we get called bitchy; but when men do it's called a podcast." Sikisa.
- "I thought I'd start off with a joke about The Titanic - just to break the ice." Masai Graham.
- "How do coeliac Germans greet each other? Gluten tag." Frank Lavender.
- "My friend got locked in a coffee place overnight. Now he only ever goes into Starbucks, not the rivals. He's Costa-phobic." Roger Swift.
- "I entered the 'How not to surrender' competition and I won hands down." Bennett Arron.
- "Nationwide must have looked pretty silly when they opened their first branch." William Stone.
- "My grandma describes herself as being in her 'twilight years' which I love because they're great films." Daniel Foxx.
Edinburgh Comedy Awards
Established in 1981 the UK’s premier awards are now in their 40th year. There are two awards:
Best Comic / Comedy Show: For the funniest, most outstanding, up-and-coming comic / comedy show / act at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The prize is £10,000.
Best Newcomer: For the performer or act who is performing their first full-length show (50 minutes or more) at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The prize is £5,000. Please note that newcomers are eligible for the Best Comedy Show Award, if that is the Panel’s decision, but no act can appear on both shortlists in the same year.
For further information on the awards, please see comedyawards.co.uk.
2023 award winners
- Best Comedy Show
Ahir Shah – Ends (Monkey Barrel Comedy)
- Best Newcomer
Uruj Ashfaq – Oh No! (Assembly)
- Panel Prize Award
A Show for Gareth Richards (PBH's Free Fringe)
Jones Bootmaker ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards
Established in 2023, the ISH Awards now have a new sponsor, Jones Bootmaker. Run entirely by volunteers, 100% of whatever sponsorship is received will always be given to the artists in prizes, this year there are the following three prizes:
- Best Show: The comedy show that the judges / audience thought was the funniest. The prize for 2024 is £5,000.
- Best Newcomer: The show that the judges / audience thought was the funniest from performers doing their first full-length show (above 45 mins) at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The prize for 2024 is £5,000.
- Panel Prize: This prize is awarded to any individual or group that have done something amazing at the Edinburgh Fringe. This could be absolutely anything, but we do have a particular focus on supporting artists. The prize for 2024 is £5,000.
To be eligible for the Best Show and Newcomer awards, the show must have the primary category of comedy and compilation shows are not eligible. For further information on the awards and full eligibility criteria, please see edinburghcomedyawards.com.
2023 award winners
- Best show
Julia Masli - ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Paul Foot - Dissolve
- Best newcomer
Dan Tiernan - Going Under
Fiona Ridgewell - No-Nonsense
- Panel prize
A Show for Gareth Richards - Mark Simmons and Danny Ward
Malcolm Hardee Awards
Malcolm Hardee (1950–2005) was a British comic, agent, manager, club-owner and anarchic prankster. The Malcolm Hardee Awards were initiated at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2005, the year of his death, to celebrate and promote the spirit of madcap, anything-goes comedy anarchy that he personified.
There are three categories: Comic Originality, Cunning Stunt and Act Most Likely To Make A Million Quid. There is no application process... judges will be scouring the festival automatically on the look out for nominees.
2023 award winners
- Comic Originality
Phil Ellis (Monkey Barrel)
- Cunning Stunt
John Fleming
- Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid
Julia Masli (Monkey Barrel)
NextUp Biggest Award in Comedy
A competition by NextUp (the Netflix of UK stand-up) to find the best comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The winner receives the biggest award in comedy – a two-metre inflatable trophy – plus carry case, pump, £500 cash and the option to have their show recorded and distributed worldwide by NextUp.
Voting closes at 00:00 on 23 August. The winner will be determined by vote quantity (as voted by NextUp users) and a judging panel. The prize will be awarded on 25 August.
2023 nominees
- Chloe Petts: If you Can't Say Anything Nice
- Reuben Kaye: The Butch is Back
- Anna Piper Scott: Such an Inspiration
- Paul Foot: Dissolve
- Lorna Rose Treen: Skin Pigeon
- Lindsey Santoro: Pink Tinge
- Tom Lawrinson: Hubba Hubba
- Daniel Foxx: Villain
- Ikechukwu Ufomadu: Amusements
- Louise Young: Feral
- Krystal Evans: The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp
- Sian Davies: This Charming Man
- Louise Atkinson: Mates
- Kieran Hodgson: Big In Scotland
- Ian Smith: Crushing
- Milo Edwards: Sentimental
- Paul Sinha: Pauly Bengali
- Larry Owens: Larry Owens Live
- Gillian Cosgriff: Actually, Good
- Bill O'Neill: The Amazing Banana Brothers
2023 winner
- Lindsey Santoro: Pink Tinge
So You Think You’re Funny?
The So You Think You’re Funny? competition was created by the Gilded Balloon and Karen Koren in 1988 to discover, support and nurture new comic talent.
2023 winner
- First prize: Samira Banks
2023 runners up
- Second prize: Christopher Donovan
- Third prize: Lizzie Norm