Harriet Dyer and Paul Foot have been announced as the joint winners of Best Show at this year’s ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
The Best Newcomer Award went to Sam Eley for Basil Crumbwick, while Matthew Gallagher was named the winner of Best Joke.\
Read our review of Paul Foot's show here
Read our review of Harriet Dyer's show here
The awards were presented at a ceremony featuring appearances from last year’s Best Show winner Phil Ellis, Jess Brough of the Fringe of Colour Database, Hannah Chambers and Alex Edelman.
The Panel Prize was once again shared between all five nominees. In their speeches, the producers reiterated that the ISH Awards are founded on fairness and on supporting artists regardless of their background, profile or the venue in which they perform.
They also highlighted the #IBACKISH campaign and encouraged performers, audiences and members of the comedy industry to be vocal in their support for the Awards’ ethos, which the team hopes to expand beyond the Edinburgh Fringe.
As part of the Garry Starr Shortlist Fund, Garry Starr personally handed £100 to every act shortlisted for Best Show and Best Newcomer, ensuring that recognition at the Awards was shared beyond the eventual winners.
Garry Starr’s Very Very Silly Award, created to celebrate an act that had not been longlisted for the main awards, was presented by Harvey Guillén, best known for playing Guillermo in What We Do in the Shadows. The award went to Conk.
The shortlisted theatre professionals for the Charlie Award for Tech were:
Designers: Ella Catherall, Josie Shipp, Owen Visser and Trekessa Austin
Operators: Faye Bowker, Molly Stewart, Talitha White and Tim Lewis
Josie Shipp and Tim Lewis were the winners.
ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards founder Nathan Cassidy and producer Sarah Bowles thanked the Awards’ sponsors and the many volunteers whose tireless work made this year’s awards possible.
Nathan Cassidy said: “This year’s Awards have involved an extraordinary amount of work from our judges, volunteers, sponsors and supporters. We cannot thank them enough for the time, care and passion they have given. Most importantly, congratulations to all our winners and nominees -an incredible array of artists creating brilliant work in venues of every kind across the Fringe.”
Producer Sarah Bowles added: “The ISH Awards have always been about fairness, openness and supporting artists, whatever their background and wherever they perform. Sharing the Panel Prize and giving every shortlisted Best Show and Best Newcomer act £100 are practical expressions of that ethos. We want everyone who believes in a fairer and more supportive comedy industry to say proudly: #IBACKISH.”
Pictures by Edward Moore.
