Eric Rushton wins Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award
- The first Sean Lock Comedy Award winner has been revealed
- Stand-up comedian Eric Rushton, who has been performing since 2014, picked up the prize
- He will receive a bundle of support and opportunities with Channel 4 develop a TV career
Stand-up Eric Rushton has been named as the first winner of The Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award.
The new prize has been created to showcase talented new writers and performers who "embody the alternative comedic spirit of Sean and Channel 4".
Lock died in August 2021 after developing cancer, and the award was presented by his friend, fellow comic Bill Bailey. The finale event took place last Tuesday but the results only announced today.
The other finalists were Alex Bertulis-Fernandes, Mamoun Elagab, Kyrah Gray, Kuan-wen Huang, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd, Tadiwa Mahlunge, Mike Rice, Lorna Rose Treen, Anna Thomas and Lily Webb.
Eric will now be given a unique opportunity to kickstart his own career in TV comedy. He will receive £5,000 to support his live work as well as a script commission from Channel 4's comedy team, writer shadowing opportunities on Channel 4's comedy entertainment shows and a £1,000 commission to write a script for the broadcaster's digital strand. He will also receive support and mentoring sessions from Channel 4's commissioning teams.
Channel 4 explain: "Since his comedy debut in 2014, Eric has been impressing audiences with his intelligent, playful material and likeable, self-deprecating stage persona. In January 2020 he won the prestigious Leicester Mercury Comedian of The Year award - an award that was previously won by the likes of Romesh Ranganathan, Jason Manford and Johnny Vegas. Before that he was a Chortle Student finalist in 2016 and So You Think You're Funny? finalist 2017."
Eric says: "Watching Sean Lock was a huge part of my childhood, I'm such a huge fan and I can't think of a better person to be associated with. I really want to thank Adam Jaremko from Glee clubs who put me forward and has always believed in me and also my mum for giving birth to me and raising me on comedy. I'm a bit overwhelmed with it all!"
Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy at Channel 4, said: "It's a great feeling when your spidey senses tell you someone is special in comedy and our panel all had that with Eric. There's something properly idiosyncratic yet inclusive about his writing and performance and his potential across comedy at Channel 4 in all its brilliant guises is incredibly exciting. He's the perfect inaugural winner of The Sean Lock Award."