2022 Edinburgh Fringe
Comedians' Choice Awards 2022 winners
- Best Show: Rob Copland: Mainstream Muck (Gimme Some of That)
- Best Performer: Jordan Gray
- Best Person: Martin Willis
The winners of The Comedians' Choice Awards 2022, the Edinburgh Fringe awards voted on by comedy performers, have been announced.
Best Show
Rob Copland: Mainstream Muck (Gimme Some of That)
Copland, who has been performing his show at The Banshee Labyrinth at 6:05pm across the festival, was surprised on stage at the end of his performance with the trophy.
In a nod to how his show is not conventional, Copland supplied this simple statement when asked about how he felt to win: "\m/".
The following shows were also shortlisted, having gained a notable number of votes from the comedians taking part in the online poll:
Ali Brice: I Tried To Be Funny, But You Weren't Looking
Chelsea Birkby: No More Mr Nice Chelsea
Colin Hoult: The Death of Anna Mann
The Delightful Sausage: Nowt but Sea
Best Performer
Gray has been performing in Jordan Gray: Is It a Bird? at Assembly George Square Theatre at 10:25pm each night.
Sharing the news on social media, Gray said: "This means EVERYTHING to me."
Best Person
Willis is the managing director of show production company Objectively Funny. The company also produces and distributes the Small Book on Mental Health at the festival, to support performers.
He says: "It is a massive honour to win an award like this, one that's voted for by people involved in shows here. It means the world to be recognised by a community that I care so dearly about, and I'm incredibly grateful. That being said, it cannot go unmentioned that in the history of this particular award the winner has always been a man. That fact speaks both of the demographics of the voters but also of what we actually see from behind the scenes. For an industry that is historically male-dominated onstage, there is a vast array of brilliant women that have made so much work possible in so many ways - technicians, producers, agents, venue programmers and people that do whatever job needs doing with care and gusto. I would like to accept this award on behalf of the Objectively Funny team that has worked so hard to make excellent things happen at this festival: Ellie Brayne-Wyatt, Maddy Bye, Kathryn Higgins, Olivia Phipps and Lois Walshe."
Rob Copland, Jordan Gray and the Best Show shortlist will now be invited to take part in a special Comedians' Choice showcase season at London's Museum Of Comedy in October.
The venue has also helped fund the creation of the trophies, which were custom designed for the competition by John Ward. David Hardcastle from the Museum says: "As always, the Comedians' Choice Awards have produced not just worthy winners but a fantastically talented and varied shortlist. We're looking forward to having as many as possible of them here at the Museum of Comedy for our Comedians' Choice showcase season in October."
As an additional bonus, streaming platform NextUp Comedy will be on hand at a number of the nights at the Museum Of Comedy to record the shows for posterity, with the performer receiving a revenue share from the platform.