The search for the next major force in LGBTQ+ comedy reaches its climax this autumn. On Tuesday 10th November, the grand final of the Comedy Bloomers LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2026 lands at London’s iconic Comedy Store. Now in its fifth year, the UK’s only dedicated queer comedy
“I think it’s important to look for inspiration everywhere…”
From rap music wordplay to navigating money anxiety on reality TV, comedian Mary O’Connell answered our questions on her debut stand-up special Money Princess, her favourite funny women, and why being memorable is key in comedy.
Catch Money Princess at Pleasance
As Funny Women approaches its 25th anniversary, Hysterical Women brings a stellar line-up to the Royal Albert Hall on 7 March 2027, including former Funny Women Awards finalists Catherine Bohart and Sindhu Vee.
Nottingham is putting women in comedy centre stage this November, with a packed programme of workshops, industry insights and live performances celebrating female and non-binary comedy talent. On Saturday 7th November, Funny Women Midlands Regional Producer Kelly Griffiths joins forces with East Midlands comedian Lauren Buck for a special Women
Some of our leading funny women are calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to put comedy in the Autumn Budget on 28th October.
What if five minutes on a comedy stage could change the way you show up everywhere else? You’re already good at what you do. You lead. You present. You negotiate. You make decisions, manage teams and navigate difficult conversations. You may even be perfectly comfortable speaking in front of a
Osaka Comedy Festival is a relatively new annual event, created to promote “comedy as a shared language” through non-verbal (physical) comedy and other types of performance art. Funny Women was offered media access to this year’s festival, and your Japan correspondent was on the case! Osaka is mainly touted to
Their relationship’s over. Their tenancy isn’t. Channel 4’s ‘Break Clause’ follows ‘Ben’ (Samuel Bottomley) and ‘Lil’ (Lara Ricote) as they navigate their breakup whilst stuck in the same flat.
Caryl Churchill’s Serious Money is a fast-paced, cutting satire based on the Big Bang financial revolution of 1986 and the ensuing deregulation under Thatcher’s government. First staged at the Royal Court Theatre in 1987 as a story of the greed, inconceivable excess and corruption of the City at the time,
Since its launch in 1988, the So You Think You’re Funny? alumni reads like a who’s who of stand up. The competition has launched the careers of some of the scene’s leading comedians, and the ten performers I saw at The Gilded Balloon all fully deserve their place in this
The Edinburgh Fringe may have wrapped up, but Rosalie Minnitt’s Clementine 2 was far too magnificent to leave uncelebrated.
“…if tricky second hours are the norm, Hamilton is most definitely the exception to the rule.” – Katerina Partolina Schwartz
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Those of us who were lucky enough to know Lady Val will miss her razor-sharp wit, her warmth, and the sheer audacity of her spirit.
13 Acts, 1 phenomenal Hostess and countless cackles.
Fran Ayala-Rock talks about why “We Didn’t Need to Compete for Stage Time. We Needed to Build Our Own Stage”.
When I founded Funny Women 24 years ago, it wasn’t just a passion project; it was a direct response to a misogynist comedy promoter I was working for as a publicist.
Temi Wilkey is an award-winning writer and comedian. She won Best Writer at the Stage Debut Awards in 2020 and has written TV episodes for Disney Plus and Netflix. Her work on Netflix’s Sex Education earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. She
Anita Albrecht is a NZ-born actress/writer/producer that has tackled a few different careers off screen too from being a PT/nutritional therapist, a skincare and makeup saleswoman, a pizza maker, a choreographer for fellow bodybuilding competitors and now she acts, writes and produces full time. Thanks to her plethora of incredibly
How many feminists does it take to change a lightbulb? This article is about what happens when two feminists meet at a comedy workshop…hint: they haven’t changed any lightbulb (yet)!
We’re just putting the final touches to our Awards registration process. We’ll be ready for you soon.
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The deadline for registration for the Comedy Shorts Award has passed.
If you have a short film or sketch that you think is hilarious, then enter your work for our Comedy Shorts Award to be in with a chance of winning some life-changing support and mentoring from comedy professionals.
WHAT KIND OF FILM ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
A 1- 6 minute film that can take the form of anything comical. It’s a great opportunity to show us your creative flair and have fun!
WHO CAN ENTER?
This award is open to all women filmmakers and content developers. The film must be an original narrative created, produced and devised by a woman, or women, although male cast and crew members are allowed.
ARE THERE ANY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MY FILM?
Yes – we require all films to be 6 minutes or under, to be entirely original dialogue, to not feature brand logos and most importantly, to only use music with the written consent of the performer and/or publisher either personally or via the PRS system https://www.prsformusic.com/ .
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH MY FILM?
We will broadcast selected entries on our Funny Women YouTube channel and social media (so keep an eye out) and the top 10 finalists’ films will also hosted on a dedicated Funny Women Comedy Shorts Awards page on our website. We will also broadcast the final 3 entries as part of the grand final night.
HOW IS IT JUDGED?
Films are judged for production, concept, delivery/performance, creativity, writing and overall funniness. The top 10 films are then viewed by an independent judging panel of top television and film industry professionals who will choose one overall winner and two runners up. The final three will be invited to attend the grand final in London on the 23rd September.
WHAT CAN I WIN?
2021 Funny Women Awards Prizes
The deadline for registration for the Comedy Shorts Award has passed.
If you need further information please contact us here