These awards are open to theatre shows – please see the details of each award for entry specifics and sub-genres.

The Carol Tambor Award

The Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award considers all productions given four or five stars by the Scotsman newspaper's team of critics. The only other criterion that must be met is that productions must be new to New York. The winning company or performer is offered $25,000 for a transfer to New York. Carol will advise which NY theatres will be best for the show, with the final decision left to the company. $1,000 will be given to each shortlisted company for the excellence of their work.

For more information visit bestofedinburgh.org.

2019 winner

  • Mouthpiece – Traverse Theatre Company (Traverse Theatre)
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The Filipa Bragança Award

Filipa was only 25 when she graduated from Drama Studio London and was cast as Samira in Henry Naylor’s Echoes, a two-hander where she played a radicalised British schoolgirl. The production was a critical and commercial hit, and subsequently toured the world for over a year, with her performances helping the show collect over 10 major international fringe awards. The following year, she returned to collaborate with Naylor on Angel, and was in the midst of a second world tour when she passed away. Her last appearances were at the Brisbane Festival and Melbourne Fringe. Filipa was renowned for her generosity of spirit, her dedication to compassionate politics and as a tireless campaigner for the environment, the homeless and refugees. As well as this, she was a vocal champion of women in the arts, and in her name the Filipa Bragança Award will endeavour to honour her legacy in the performing arts. 

The recipient of the Filipa Bragança Award was announced at the final Scotsman Fringe Awards on Friday 23 August, with the award presented to the winner by Henry Naylor, who worked in close collaboration with Filipa across a number of productions, festivals and countries. A panel of esteemed Scottish-based theatre critics and arts writers judged the Award, including Joyce McMillan, Jackie McGlone, Thom Dibdin, Tim Cornwell and Mark Fisher.
 
The inaugural winner of The Filipa Bragança Award was Selina Thompson, in the production Salt at Summerhall (2017).
The sophomore winner of The Filipa Bragança Award was Emma Dennis-Edwards, in the production Funeral Flowers  at Pleasance (2018).

For further information relating to the Award, please contact David Dey at [email protected].

Edinburgh Festival Fringe productions that are registered in the theatre genre and feature a solo performance by an emerging female artist will be eligible for consideration for the Award.

2019 winner

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FringeReview Award

Each year we give up to three FringeReview Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe.

In 2019 we were also delighted to announce the FringeReview Rialto Theatre Award which includes space at the Rialto and support for a chosen show to perform at Brighton Fringe 2020. 

We also give out impromptu awards in other parts of the world.

But we don’t give them out lightly.

2019 winners

Exciting Work
Identity – CTC Dance Company (Greenside)

FringeReview / Rialto Theatre Award for Outstanding Theatre
The Sensemaker – Elsa Couvreur, Woman's Move (Zoo)

Outstanding Theatre
Tröll – Trick of the Light Theatre (Summerhall)

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Holden Street Theatres' Edinburgh Fringe Award

The Holden Street Theatres’ Edinburgh Fringe Award is an annual award program that invites a production to perform at the Holden Street Theatres in Adelaide, South Australia, as the headline show of its Adelaide Fringe program. The 2020 Adelaide Fringe will be the 60th anniversary of the second biggest arts festival in the world, and Holden Street is looking for an incredible piece of work to be a part of the fringe’s biggest year ever.

Holden Street is known as the ‘Home of Theatre’ in Adelaide, with a strong and loyal following of patrons and artists. We have a reputation for presenting fantastic theatrical work from around the corner and around the globe. We pride ourselves on not only looking after our artists, producers and patrons, but on presenting some of the best work at the Adelaide Fringe. Productions are shortlisted by HST’s Artistic Director Martha Lott, along with a panel of international producers, programmers and arts practitioners. With the team viewing hundreds of shows between them, the winning work is selected on artistic merit, production values, touring possibilities, venue compatibility and marketing viability. The winner is then presented at the final Scotsman Fringe First Award ceremony in the final week of the Edinburgh Fringe.

2019 winner

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Les Enfants Terribles' Stepladder Award

Les Enfants Terribles, in association with house and The Other Richard, were proud to offer The Stepladder Award for the third year in 2019. 

The Stepladder Award offers a company performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe industry support and tour mentoring from Les Enfants Terribles and house to help develop their experience and profile within the theatre industry. The Other Richard provide production photography, show recording and an edited trailer to support with tour booking for the winning company. 

The award is for companies with an established track record of producing work either as part of a fringe festival or in a London / regional fringe theatre or in other venues. You must be committed to developing your company and practice through mounting a first full tour over the subsequent two years and the work you are presenting at Edinburgh Festival Fringe must be a new piece of original writing. 

Companies are invited to apply via the online application form. 

The companies are then contacted by Les Enfants Terribles directly and assessed by an industry panel. Shows in 2019 were assessed on the week commencing 05 August 2019. 

2019 winner

Tokyo Rose – Burnt Lemon Theatre / Untapped by Underbelly and New Diorama (Underbelly)

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Musical Theatre Review Best Musical Award

The return of this award for excellence in musical theatre continues to promote the range of musical theatre in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme and celebrate the best of the genre. Eligible shows are presented by professional theatre companies or aspiring professional companies where a level of skill and craft is evident. The work must be considered a dramatic work using music and song to advance the plot, narrative or character. In accordance with encouraging excellence in the form, new works will be prioritised. Submitted works for the 2019 award must have been in performance from 09 to 24 August 2019.

A shortlist of 10 nominated shows, selected by the Musical Theatre Review Edinburgh Team, were announced on Friday 16 August at 12:00. The winning musical was presented with a certificate and showcased on the Musical Theatre Review website and social media channels. The joint winners of the 2018 Award were Sparks at the Pleasance Courtyard and The Half Moon Shania at Zoo Southside.

2019 winners

Overall winner

Commendations

Shortlist

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The Scottish Arts Club Theatre Awards

Best Scottish production

Winner

The Afflicted – Groupwork (Summerhall)

Runners-up

Thunderstruck – David Colvin (Assembly)

And the Birds Did Sing – Curious Seed (Dance Base)

Bright Spark Award (for an emerging Scottish talent)

The cast of The Brunch Club for The Brunch Club – Grid Iron, SDTN and Pleasance Theatre Trust (Pleasance)

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The Scotsman Fringe First Award

Designed to encourage performers to bring new work to Edinburgh in the spirit of adventure and experiment, the Scotsman Fringe First Awards celebrate the best new writing on the Fringe, as judged by the team of critics from Scotland’s national newspaper, the Scotsman.

The Scotsman Fringe First Awards are presented weekly throughout the Fringe.​

2019 winners

Week one

  • Mustard – Eva O'Connor (Summerhall)
  • Raven – Chamäleon Productions in association with Aurora Nova (Assembly)
  • Arthur – Daniel Bye, One Tenth Human and ARC Stockton (Your Home)
  • How Not to Drown – ThickSkin, Traverse Theatre production with Tron Theatre, Lawrence Batley Theatre (Traverse Theatre)
  • Enough – Traverse Theatre Company (Traverse Theatre)
  • Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran – Javaad Alipoor and HOME in association with Traverse Theatre Company (Traverse Theatre)

Week two

Week three

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The Scottish Theatre Awards on the Fringe

Each year, the Scottish Theatre Awards on the Fringe, supported by the Scottish Arts Club, award two prizes recognising the best in Scottish theatre.

The main prize is awarded to the best Scottish theatre production appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Productions with a Scottish director, writer or cast, or a Scottish-based theatre company, are eligible. Bright Spark Awards are awarded to young actors or theatre-makers just embarking on their career.

The nominations for these awards are selected by a panel of eight judges, drawn from the Scottish arts world. The prizes include cash and a certificate and the winners are presented at a formal awards ceremony held at the Scottish Arts Club.

2019 winners

Best Scottish production

Bright Spark Award for an emerging Scottish talent

  • The Brunch Club – Grid Iron, SDTN and Pleasance Theatre Trust (Pleasance)
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The SIT-UP Awards

The SIT-UP Award was first launched in 2018 and is an initiative of the charity Changing Ideas.

It is given to a theatre production that affects change in audience perceptions, understanding and empathy for a social issue. We also take into account engagement with audiences by the production. This award is chosen based on audience voting. 

The winner is announced at the end of the third week of the Fringe and the winner receives £5,000, of which £1,000 is cash – to use as they like – and £4,000 of support to extend the social impact of the piece after Edinburgh and widen its audience reach. The support is tailored to suit the company and issue. The winner is also offered a showcase at the Park Theatre, London.

We also give an Audience Engagement Award of £1,000 to a production which engages with its audiences in an effective or novel way.

For more information and application form vist situpawards.com.

2019 winner

  • Who Cares – LUNG and The Lowry (Summerhall)
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The Stage Edinburgh Awards

The Stage Edinburgh Awards ran for the 23rd year at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The awards are designed to recognise outstanding performances on the Fringe, whether solo or as part of a company. Ensembles are also eligible. Previous winners include Jade Anouka for Chef (2014), Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag (2013) and Daniel Kitson for C-90 (2006).

Since 2014, they’ve been awarded on a rolling basis. The judging panel is headed by Natasha Tripney and The Stage makes announcements every Monday throughout the Fringe. 

For the latest information about The Stage Edinburgh Awards visit thestage.co.uk.

2019 winners

  • Nigel Barrett: Pops – Jake Orr Productions, HighTide and Live Theatre (Assembly)
  • Sophie Melville: Pops – Jake Orr Productions, HighTide and Live Theatre (Assembly)
  • Caroline Horton: All of Me – China Plate, Cambridge Junction and The Yard Theatre (Summerhall)
  • Lee Sang-hee: Macbeth – Choin Theatre Company (Korea) in association with C theatre (C venues)
  • Breffni Holahan: Collapsible – Ellie Keel Productions and HighTide (Assembly)
  • Alice Vilanculo: E8 – The North Wall in association with The Pleasance (Pleasance)
  • Angus Taylor and Shauna Macdonald: Mouthpiece – Traverse Theatre Company (Traverse Theatre)
  • Richard Gadd: Baby Reindeer by Richard Gadd – Francesca Moody Productions (Roundabout @ Summerhall)
  • Dael Orlandersmith: Until the Flood – Arcola Theatre Production Company (Traverse Theatre)
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Total Theatre Awards

Developed for the benefit of artists, the sector and audiences, the Total Theatre Awards have, over the last two decades, blazed a trail of recognition for independent artists and companies creating innovative, artist-led theatre and performance.
 
Resisting too narrow a definition of the term ‘total theatre’, the awards focus on artists and companies leading innovative work beyond the classical canon and new writing – working within the fields of devised theatre, live art, visual performance, mime, puppetry, physical theatre, experimental theatre, dance, clown, circus, street, immersive, outdoor, site-specific performance and more.

2019 winners

Total Theatre Award for Shows by an Emerging Artist / Company

  • Winner: Burgerz – Hackney Showroom (Traverse Theatre)
  • Nominee: Life is No Laughing Matter – Demi Nandhra (Summerhall)
  • Nominee: Sex Education – Harry Clayton-Wright (Summerhall)
  • Nominee: STYX – Second Body (ZOO)
  • Nominee: YUCK Circus – Underbelly and YUCK Circus (Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows)

Total Theatre and Jacksons Lane Award for Circus

  • Winner: Knot – Nikki & JD / Jacksons Lane (Assembly)
  • Winner: Staged – Circumference (ZOO)
  • Nominee: Contra – Written and performed by Laura Murphy, directed by Ursula Martinez (Summerhall)
  • Nominee: Jelly or Jam – Ampersand with support from Gravity & Other Myths (Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows)
  • Nominee: Raven – Chamäleon Productions in association with Aurora Nova (Assembly)
  • Nominee: Super Sunday – Underbelly and Race Horse Company (Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows)

Total Theatre and The Place Award for Dance

Total Theatre Award for Innovation, Experimentation and Playing with Form

Total Theatre Award for Physical/Visual Theatre

Total Theatre Discretionary Award

Total Theatre Award for Significant Contribution

  • Jess Brough and Fringe of Colour
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