Acclaimed performer Garry Starr - the creation of Damien Warren-Smith - has joined the Awards as a sponsor, donating £1600 to the prize fund.
Through the new Garry Starr Shortlist Fund, every act shortlisted for Best Show and Best Newcomer will receive £100. The shortlists, comprising ten Best Show nominees and five Best Newcomer nominees, will be announced on Wednesday. There is just one condition: each act, or a representative, must collect their £100 directly from Garry at the awards ceremony on Friday night.
Garry will also give out the Garry Starr Very Very Silly and Not-Longlisted Prize, awarding an additional £100 to a show that was not included on the ISH longlists.
The prize reflects something the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards have always maintained: that no awards long-list can be considered a definitive guide to everything great at the Edinburgh Fringe. Garry’s extra £100 will simply go to a show he personally loved and thinks the Awards foolishly overlooked.
The new sponsorship takes the total ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards prize fund to £17,600.01.
Garry Starr said: “I love the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards and thought - how can I back them? With something silly like this. Awards are lovely and silly and let’s reward the lovely and silly.’
Awards founder Nathan Cassidy said: “Garry Starr is a total inspiration, and to have such an incredible performer and beautiful human being backing us is utterly tremendous. I continue to be blown away by the support this year and the positivity that these Awards bring to performers in Edinburgh and the boost it gives to their Fringes and careers.”
Producer Sarah Bowles added: “We can't thank the great Garry Starr enough, and £17,600.01 means we only need another £2,400 to be the most valuable Edinburgh Comedy Award ever. This would happen if Nathan was awarded the Panel Prize from the Edinburgh Comedy Awards as he has said that he would donate 100% of the prize to the ISH Panel Prize. Who knows if that will happen… !! But just in case that it doesn't, do contact us over the next few days if you want in…!”
The ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards ceremony begins at 11.30pm on Friday at the Counting House Ballroom, with live music from Hajar Woodland and band, followed by the ceremony hosted for a 4th year by Patrick Monahan with very special guests. Attendance is by invitation only.
Picture: Matt Crockett
