James Acaster has won this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival award for Most Outstanding Show.

Acaster picked up the award for his latest show Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999. As he is probably fed up reading by now, Acaster has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award five times without winning. He didn't take Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 to the Edinburgh Fringe but his run in London last autumn garnered umpteen five star rave reviews.

The other Melbourne nominees were Anne Edmonds, Cassie Workman, Geraldine Hickey, Nath Valvo and Tom Allen.

The winner of the Best Newcomer Award 2019 is Blake Freeman!

This year’s Directors’ Choice Award goes to Aaron Chen.

The People’s Choice Award for most tickets sold across the 2019 Festival goes to Urzila Carlson. 

The 2019 Golden Gibbo, awarded in memory of the late, great Lynda Gibson, goes to Neal Portenza & Joshua Ladgrove.

The winner of the 2019 Piece of Wood comics’ choice award is Geraldine Hickey.