As we draw nearer to the Charity Final of this year’s Funny Women Awards on Monday 24th September, here’s a quick look at the opportunities we are offering our winners this year.
Thanks to our sponsor for the main prize, Benefit Cosmetics, we will be presenting our overall winner with a bursary worth £2,000 which will be used to further their career. This gives us the flexibility to spend the money on whatever our winner most needs – for example new photos, setting up a website, travel and accommodation to gigs around the UK. We have finalists from the far corners of the British Isles and this money could cover their costs to live in London for a few months while they find their comedy feet.
We are mindful of the fact that some of our finalists are already partly ‘established’ so the money needs to be spent in a way that really enhances their win. Last year’s winner Lara A King had a lot of things in place already. Having been a tour manager for Fascinating Aida and Rhona Cameron she was one step ahead of the game with her own website and even a regular night of her own in North London – so we partially funded her own show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Lara had marketing and practical support from the team througout her run. We offer a really ‘hands on’ approach and this is hard to put a real value on.
Our winner, and indeed any of the finalists, will be offered guidance by Red 24 Management’s comedy guru Jonathan Grant – and if they happen to be signed up already, we’re not there to disturb this relationship and the prize bursary will be spent in collaboration with her management.
The benefit (pardon the pun) of having marvellous sponsors involved is that each of them is a partner in the process of getting our winners seen and heard. Getting your name associated with any kind of promotional campaign will help with recognition around the circuit and to get seen by casting directors for TV shows and commercials. One good advertising campaign (confused.com signed up past finalist Wendy Wason as the voice of their campaign and the work keeps on coming!) can pay your mortgage!
Benefit have great plans for our main prize winner to include some guest appearances at other events, blogging and filming, and the winner of the Blue Nun sponsored Variety Award will be involved in some fun fuelled promotional activity that’s sure to raise her profile and a few eyebrows!
The winner of the Comedy Writing Award gets an amazing opportunity to develop her script with the award-winning expertise of The Comedy Unit.
So, it’s not just any old competition – the prizes are tangible and career building. We ensure that our entrants are supported and nurtured at all levels from the first gig ever, in some cases, to the final! We can’t wait to find out who will be the winner in our 10th Anniversary year.
2011 Winners pictured left to right: Variety Award winners Ladies Live Longer, main Award winner Lara A King and Comedy Writing Award winner, Christine Robertson.
