The Lastminute.com Edinburgh Comedy Awards nominees for Best Newcomer and Best Show have been announced and this year there are some fantastic picks – as always but excitingly this year more women have been nominated.
Director of the Edinburgh Awards Nica Burns said: “70 years of the Fringe, 700 eligible shows: a record breaking year for comedy. An excellent long, long-list resulted in a particularly passionate and lively debate by the ten strong judging panel. It is unprecedented to see an almost gender-equal list with four women on the shortlist of nine, one more nomination than in 2015 and 2016, and some exciting new names for the public to discover.”
Nominees for Best Newcomer are 2014 Funny Women Awards finalist Lauren Pattison, for her five star show Lady Muck, Natalie Palamides with her off the wall show LAID, Lucy Pearman: Made of Cabbage, Rob Kemp: The Elvis Dead, Kwame Asante: Open Arms, Ed Night: Anthem for Doomed Youth, Darren Harriott: Defiant and Chris Washington: Dream Big (within reason).
2014 Funny Women Awards finalist Elf Lyons’ Swan, a clownish interpretation of Swan Lake has made it to the Best Show shortlist, as well as Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, Mae Martin: Dope and Sophie Willan (who you can catch headlining our September Brighton Nights) Branded. They are up against John Robins, Ahir Shah, Jordan Brookes and Spencer Jones.
The winners of the 2017 lastminute.com Edinburgh Comedy Awards will be announced on Saturday 26th August, with The League of Gentleman and 2016 Best Comedy Show winner Richard Gadd.w The prize money for best comedy show is £10,000 with £5,000 each for the Best Newcomer and the Panel Prize winner.
We are delighted that so many talented women made the shortlist. 2009 Funny Women Awards winner London Hughes – who has her own brilliant show at the Fringe – praised the nominees, although she made an important note, tweeting: “That being said, kinda miffed that sooo many badass women of colour had killer shows this year and not one got nominated #EdComedyAwards”
Let’s hope next year is another record breaker with even more women and even more diversity!
