The “Oscars of Comedy” – The Edinburgh Comedy Awards – will celebrate four and a half decades of inspiring the next generation of comedy talent at the Fringe with another round of awards this year.

BBC Radio 4 will broadcast a special showcase recorded at The Gilded Balloon which will give this year’s nominees an even bigger platform. Last year’s Best Comedy Show winner Amy Gledhill will be the host.

Amy Gledhill, Best Comedy Show 2024. © 2024 Martin McAdam

The programme will give listeners who can’t make it to Edinburgh themselves a taste of the energy in Edinburgh during August and also hear some of the best bits from the nominees. The programme will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 21st August at 11,00pm, and available to catch up on BBC Sounds.

04/08/2024
Nica Burns, CBE and Donald Taffner of DLT Entertainment at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Lunch
Pic Greg Macvean

Nica Burns, CBE, Director of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, said: “In 2025, we are celebrating the 45th birthday of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards! We are only five years away from our half century!! Spotlighting the best up-and-coming talent at the Edinburgh Fringe is a huge privilege, which we take very seriously. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is, and always will be, the world showcase for comedy talent and every year we look forward to discovering the next generation of comedy stars.

“This year, we said a fond goodbye to Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Fringe Society who was such a wonderful champion of the Fringe. We are looking forward to working with her successor, Tony Lankester, who brings a wealth of experience and a steady pair of hands to this vital and challenging role.

“We would like to offer some big thank yous. Firstly, to our illustrious panel of judges and supporting scouts, who will collectively watch thousands of hours of comedy over the next month. We’re equally grateful to our returning co-sponsors: DLT Entertainment, The Taffner Family Charitable Trust, the Victoria Wood Foundation, and of course, me!

“Comedy has been the largest genre at the Fringe for many years now and I predict it will still be the largest when the Edinburgh Comedy Awards celebrate their 100th year in 2080!

“Looking forward to a bumper festival for all!”

Donald Taffner, Jr., Chairman of DLT Entertainment UK Ltd, said: “The Edinburgh Comedy Awards are the most prestigious honours in comedy, and supporting them is deeply personal for me. My parents founded DLT Entertainment 62 years ago, and I grew up in a household that believed in nurturing talent and celebrating laughter. The Fringe is the highlight of my year — and yes, I still try to beat my own record for shows seen.

“DLT Entertainment is proud to sponsor the Best Newcomer Award, championing the rising stars just starting to make their mark. And through the Taffner Family Trust’s support of the Taffner Family Best Comedy Show, we honour a family tradition of backing brilliant performers who keep pushing comedy forward.”

The Judging Panel

The carefully curated 2025 judging panel is made up of seven industry experts and three knowledgeable and avid comedy fans from the general public who are selected through an open application process. The 2025 judging panel is made up of:

  • Sam Bryant: Director of Original Content and Comedy Commissioner, Audible (Chair)
  • Josh Buckingham: Executive Producer, Hat Trick Productions
  • Ashley Davies: Freelance Arts Journalist, Metro, Times Scotland, Scotsman
  • Shukri Dirie: Development Producer, Scripted, BBC TalentWorks
  • Tristram Fane Saunders: Freelance Journalist and Comedy Critic, The Telegraph and Editor of The Little Review
  • Rachael Healy: Freelance Comedy and Theatre Writer, The Guardian and The Observer
  • James Robinson: Executive Producer, BBC Studios Audio
  • Janet Jackson: Public panellist
  • Krishna Kapur: Public panellist
  • Justine Teasdale: Public panellist

Nica Burns Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Richard Osman and Ahir Shah. © 2024 Martin McAdam

Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.

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