Nextup's biggest trophy is returning to the Edinburgb Fronge, to help find the shows everyone should be talking about.

The streaming service's oversized prize invites its members to nominate the Edinburgh Fringe shows they believe deserve to be celebrated. Those nominations are combined with recommendations from NextUp’s panel of comedy scouts to produce a longlist of the 20 most-nominated shows, before casting their final votes to decide the winner.

The aim isn’t simply to reward the funniest show, but to shine a spotlight on the performances the NextUp community believes audiences shouldn’t miss.

And yes…the trophy is still absolutely enormous.

Standing at an entirely impractical 2 metres and 4 centimetres tall, the inflatable gold trophy remains - quite literally - the biggest award in comedy.

This year’s winner will receive:

• The world’s biggest comedy trophy (2m 4cm inflatable)

• £500 prize money

• A hand pump

• A carry case (for transportation, not dignity)

• The opportunity to record and release their show as a NextUp comedy special.

Last year’s winner, Ayoade Bamgboye, went on to win the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer before joining the inaugural cast of Saturday Night Live UK, making her one of British comedy’s breakout stars of the past year.

Ayoade Bamgboye said: “It’s been one of the greatest honours of my life, I’ll never stop saying thank you to NextUp for inflating the biggest prize I’ve ever received outside the Pleasance bunkers, a core memory that I’ll always cherish, more so because I got to keep it! To the next winner, this is the stuff of dreams, savour it!”

Daniel Berg, Co-Founder of NextUp, said: “Whist the Edinburgh Fringe simultaneously becomes more expensive and challenging for everyone involved - it’s a true honour to force an exhausted comedian to lug home a 2 metre inflatable award.”

Voting opens on the 7th August.

On 16 August, NextUp will reveal the 20 long-listed shows, selected through member nominations and recommendations from its comedy scout network.

Members will then cast their final votes before the winner is announced on 27 August, when one comedian will face the logistical challenge of transporting a two-metre trophy back home at the end of the Fringe.

Vote here.