Why our Awards are still the ‘beating heart’ of Funny Women

I know I bang on about how the Funny Women Awards are the lifeblood of our community and I’m passionate about the importance of having safe places where those of us who identify as female can be creative, explore ideas and put them out there into the world unencumbered by social pressures.  

Humour is the universal language that everybody understands and breaks down barriers. We can make people laugh with words, actions and the sheer joy of being in the moment with each other, guards down and having fun.  Women are particularly good at this and it’s what our communities are built on.

For me it is as fundamental as this: comedy starts with us, our lives, our dreams and our interactions with others.  It’s innate, visceral and unfiltered.  Comedy is always a reflection of what it is going on in our communities and broader society. It anesthetises us against hardship, pain and grief, and pivots us into broader perspectives.

Which is why the Funny Women Awards are important, not only to put the spotlight on gender equality, but full on diversity and inclusion, ensuring that culture, sexuality, ability, social class and age are all part of the story.  Those of us who are curious look for new ways to communicate and create work that sits right at the heart of modern culture and that has been my biggest challenge.

I always say that I know what needs to be done, even if I don’t know how to do it myself. This has been very much the case of getting the Awards up and running again. Not only do we need financial support, but we also need access to today’s most interactive platforms, to share the creations and the fantastic work we attract in our longstanding Awards. As a non-profit community, we can’t achieve our goals without collaboration and the vision of others who share our passion for great comedy.

Enter Funny Parts a BBC Studios Digital Comedy channel which aims to showcase up-and-coming and diverse comedians in short form digital content across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.  It’s a marriage made in heaven because not only do we get to seek out the newest funniest female comedy performers, writers and creators, there’s also a place where they will be regularly championed and showcased with the opportunity to breakthrough. 

As Jasmine Dawson SVP Digital at BBC Studios said, “This partnership reflects our commitment to fostering fresh perspectives and creating space for underrepresented voices to thrive. We can’t wait to see the brilliant talent that will emerge through this collaboration.”

I’m excited to see what this year brings in terms of new talent and having the opportunity to work closely with the BBC is one of my ‘bucket list’ items ticked for futureproofing the Awards. 

Female comedy has changed many people’s perspectives since I first came into this industry 23 years ago and it’s something I feel proud to have contributed to. No, I’m not a  a comedian myself but ‘funny’ goes beyond performance. It’s vital for people like me to continue ‘banging on’ to ensure that diverse new talent gets seen and heard, and working with industry partners like BBC Studios is an amazing win.