The Edinburgh Comedy Awards will take place this year as the sponsors step in a month before the 2023 festival
The Edinburgh Comedy Awards will take place at the Edinburgh Fringe this year amid doubts over the future of the award.
The annual awards ceremony, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022, recognizes the best comedy shows from established acts and debut performances at the arts festival in August.
However, this year’s awards seemed uncertain when it was announced in May that sponsor Dave would no longer be supporting them.
The Comedy Awards’ director, theater producer Nica Burns, said she was unable to personally sponsor the awards post-Corona like she had done the previous two years.
On Thursday (July 6th) it was announced that three new sponsors had stepped in to support the awards and make it possible.
Sky will support the premier comedy award, now called Sky Best Comedy Showl, given to the best show of this year’s festival.
The DLT Entertainment Best Newcomer Award goes to an artist appearing at the Fringe for the first time.
The Jury Prize is awarded to an artist, venue or occasion that encapsulates the spirit of this year’s festival. It is supported by the Victoria Wood Foundation and bears the name “Victoria Wood Award” this year.
From left: Sam Campbell, 2022 Winner, Sian Davies, Best in Class, Lara Ricote
(Getty Images)
In a statement, Burns said: “In just five weeks I have been joined by three companies who are as passionate about comedy as I am to enable the 41st Edinburgh Comedy Awards to be held in August. I can Sky, DLT Entertainment and the Thank you Victoria Wood Foundation enough for reacting so quickly and decisively in the true spirit of the Fringe.
“It’s a great commitment from them and a wonderful confirmation of the Awards’ place in the Edinburgh fabric. So for 2023, it’s business as usual and plans for the long-term future of the Comedy Awards are moving forward. Thank you to all the comic artists and those in the comedy industry who have expressed so passionately how much they love the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.”
Australian comedian Sam Campbell won last year’s best comedy show for his work comedy show. Known for his offbeat humor and inventive use of multimedia, Campbell will star in season 16 of Taskmaster later this year.
The Mexican-American comedian Lara Ricote, who is deaf, received the award for best newcomer. Best in Class, a group championing working-class comics, won the Jury Prize.
Previous honorees have also included Rose Matafeo, Bridget Christie, Tim Key, Al Murray and Dylan Moran.
