Entries are now open for the New Act of the Year 2017 competition. Previous finalists include Russell Brand, Daniel Kitson, Eddie izzard and Harry Hill.

Last year's winner was Bilal Zafar, who is now managed by top agency Avalon and is taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe in August.

The NATYS has been running for over three decades and has established itself as one of the UK's most important spotlights for the comedy industry, providing an independent platform for emerging comedic artists from variety’s wide spectrum of performance disciplines, from stand-up to speciality. It encourages professional development and supports the artist's’ transition from the open mic and new act competition stages to the established fee-paying live comedy circuit.

Over 100 ‘new acts’ will be auditioned this autumn, at East London’s Rich Mix, from which a New Variety Bill of 14 acts, selected by an audition panel, receive a paid booking to perform at the NATYS 2017 Top of the Bill comedy showcase at the Leicester Square Theatre, where a panel of comedy industry VIPs will select the Top of The Bill Act for 2017. 

If you're serious about your comedy, have been performing live for over a year, have a 20 minute routine from which you can extract a tight 5 minute audition piece; register your interest in auditioning for NATYS 2017 by completing the registration form on this link here.