These awards are open to the majority of genres and programme categories - please see the details of each award for entry specifics. More awards which are open to most genres and categories can be found under the Diversity, accessibility and inclusivity awards.
Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence in association with Brighton Open Air Theatre
Applications are now open for the Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence in association with Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT), inviting one production from Edinburgh Fringe 2019 to perform at Brighton Fringe 2020. The winner will receive a free registration to take part in Brighton Fringe 2020, along with £500 towards production costs and a free reworking/rehearsal space from BOAT.
Brighton Fringe is the largest fringe festival in England and takes place in May. No artistic judgement or selection criteria are imposed on participants, enabling the development of both new and established work to attract fresh audiences, press and promoters. Brighton Fringe will take place from 1 – 31 May 2020.
Now in its 5th Year, BOAT will host over 140 performances from local, national and international companies. Featuring drama, comedy, circus, cabaret, music, dance and even a Pop Bingo for dogs. Put simply ‘Everything Under the Sun!’
With a capacity of 425 we have welcomed over 50,000 people through the gates. The classical Greek form makes BOAT an intimate outdoor space loved by Audiences and performers alike. BOAT enjoys 5 stars across the board from Facebook and Trip Advisor and has been listed in the top 10 outdoor theatres in the world (The Guardian) and shortlisted for Best Family Venue by ‘Fantastic for Families’.
Set in a park, BOAT is a relaxed venue where birdsong and open skies set the scene. From a performers perspective BOAT is an exceptional space to play, whilst we can’t always guarantee the weather, we can assure you that we will treat you exceptionally, support your marketing, invite you to our launch, and importantly we don’t double programme our days so when you are resident – the space is yours.
BOAT suits companies with ambition of scale where the sky’s the limit!
Find out more at brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk
The Broadway Baby Bobby Award
Recognising that sometimes not all five-star shows are equal, Broadway Baby's iconic Bobby statuette is awarded to the best of the best shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Broadway Baby covers more shows than any other publication in Edinburgh, and whilst - on average - only 4% of the performances it sees are considered worthy of five stars, that's still approaching 200 productions in any one year.
All shows awarded five stars by Broadway Baby are automatically considered for The Bobby Award; first by the judging team and then those shortlisted are seen by a senior member of the editorial team. There are no set number of Bobby Awards, however in previous years an average of just five trophies are handed out over the entire festival. The Bobby is recognition that you have created something truly special.
Mervyn Stutter Spirit of the Fringe Award
The Mervyn Stutter 'Spirit of the Fringe' Awards (aka ‘The MERVs’), along with Mervyn's regular 'Pick of the Fringe' show, are this year celebrating their 28th anniversary which makes them one of the oldest Awards on the Fringe.
Seven Awards are given in this special ‘Spirit of the Fringe Awards’ show which is always the final show each year (this year, Sunday 25th Aug 2019). These Awards acknowledge and celebrate the talent, hard work, pluck and sheer doggedness demanded of performers from all genres on the Fringe to make a show a success.
Winners of a MERV are chosen from the 140 amazing shows that have been highlighted during the regular 2019 'Pick of the Fringe' showcases, so it is fair to say that the winners are the crème de la crème. Given this, it could justifiably be argued that this is the best show of the whole ‘Pick of the Fringe’ run.
The 'Spirit of the Fringe' Awards were created to recognise those who show commitment in the face of little support or funding or those who have consistently provided audiences with quality entertainment over the years. There is no application process as the Awards are issued at the judges' discretion.
For more information go to www.mervspotfringe.com
The ThreeWeeks Editors' Awards
Presented by Edinburgh Festival magazine ThreeWeeks, the Editors’ Awards go to the ten things that the ThreeWeeks editors believe made that year's Festival extra special. These have one of the widest criteria of all the Fringe awards, as winners can be people, shows, companies, venues or even whole festivals. There are no criteria other than the winners bringing something extra special to the Festival. There is no application process. Winners are announced at a small gathering on the last weekend of the Festival.