Bridget Christie continued her run of collecting awards last night by bagging two Chortle Awards, for Best Show and Best Radio Comedy. Not much to argue about there, though I would have liked to have seen some different winners in some of the other categories (I was one of the judges who had a hand in coming up with the shortlist, but the winners were chosen via a public vote – over 9000 Chortle readers chipped in). No major hissy fits over the winners from me, you are all wonderful, I would just have chosen differently.
As discussed on BTJ before, I think Jonny Pelham has a big future and should have been Best Newcomer, though Sofie Hagen is great. No argument with Sara Pascoe winning Best Breakthrough Act, though any of the nominees would have been worthy winners. As for club comic, Paul Sinha might as well keep the trophy, he seems to win it every year (ed's note - I've been told by Chortle he's actually never won it before - well, he should have!).
Ed Gamble's award for Best Compere was well-deserved, but he's a definite rising star and could maybe have picked up a prize in another category as a stand-up in his own right rather than crowd wrangler. I think I may have caught Austentatious on an off-night, but well done to them for winning Best Character, Improv, Sketch Act. And good to see the homegrown Horne Section triumph over brilliant-but-American Bo Burnham. Nigel Farage would be proud.
Micky Flanagan was a bit of a welcome surprise winning Best Tour – he's not really on Twitter so no accusations of harnessing the power of social media there. Simon Amstell would have got my vote for Best DVD though I'm surprised Russell Brand didn't win it. Good to see Fresh Meat triumphing. The Jack Whitehall backlash will have to wait until 2015. And, of course, serial podcaster Richard Herring won the Internet Award. They may as well call it the Herring Award and save time…
Best Newcomer
Jonny Pelham
Pierre Novellie
Sofie Hagen - Winner
Tim Renkow
Breakthrough Act
John Kearns
Katherine Ryan
Romesh Ranganathan
Sara Pascoe - Winner
Club Comic
Ed Gamble
Elis James
Felicity Ward
Paul Sinha - Winner
Best Compere
Barry Ferns
Ed Gamble - Winner
Joe Heenan
Ray Peacock
Character, Improv or Sketch Act
Austentatious - Winner
Brian Gittins
John Kearns
Marcel Lucont
Music & Variety Award
Bo Burnham
The Horne Section - Winner
Noise Next Door
Rachel Parris
Best Show
Bridget Christie: A Bic For Her - Winner
John Kearns: Sight Gags For Perverts
Louis CK
Mark Thomas: 100 Acts Of Minor Dissent
Best Tour
Barry Humphries: Dame Edna's Farewell Tour
Bo Burnham: What
Harry Hill: Sausage Time
Micky Flanagan: Back In The Game - Winner
Best DVD
The Alternative Comedy Experience
Bo Burnham: What
Russell Brand: Messiah Complex
Simon Amstell: Live at the BBC - Winner
TV Award
The Alternative Comedy Experience
Badults
Fresh Meat - Winner
Toast of London
Radio Award
Mark Thomas: Bravo Figaro
Bridget Christie Minds The Gap - Winner
Mark Steel's In Town
Andrew Maxwell's Public Enemies
Internet Award
Alex Horne Breaks The News
The Comedian's Comedian Podcast
Netflix
Richard Herring's Leicester Square Podcast - Winner
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The Industry Award went to Chris Evans, who runs independent comedy label Go Faster Stripe.
Best Venues were: The Stand (Scotland), XS Malarkey (The North), Glee Club (Wales), Glee Club (Midlands), Komedia (The South), Soho Theatre (London) and 99 Club (London).
