Welsh comedian Tommy Rowson, who only started performing comedy last October, has won So You Think You're Funny? - the Gilded Balloon's stand-up competition for new comedians.

Now in its 24th year, the annual talent search has a reputation for discovering new stars, with previous winners including Peter Kay, David O'Doherty, Rob Rouse, Miles Jupp and Lee Mack.

Rowson, who currently lives in London, has also reached the semis of the Amused Moose Awards and the finals of the Laughing Horse competition this year. He won over the SYTYF judging panel - which included the Gilded Balloon's Karen Koren, comedy critic Bruce Dessau and celebrity judge Lee Mack - with a routine that included poetry 'inspired by God'.

The young comic not only wins the coveted SYTYF title, but also receives a cash prize and a trip to perform at Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival.

It was a tough competition, with each act given just eight minutes in front of the sell-out crown in the hot main room of the Gilded Balloon to prove just how funny they were. Dayne Rathbone, who gained entry into the line-up after winning the RAW competition in Australia earlier in the year, came second. His quirky and unique awkward character storytelling act proved to be a real crowd favourite.

Hull's diminutive Lucy Beaumont - who had only ever performed four gigs before the final; and rude-talking, ex-journalist Fern Brady from Sheffield were jointly named in third place after judges couldn't decide between the two.

Also taking part in the final, which was hosted by experienced pro Jarred Christmas, were Macmillan carer Andy Clark (who made use of picture props); supermarket trolley collector Darren Connell (who divided the audience with jokes about topics including Aids and mental illness); Stuart Hossack (who neatly combined scripted narrative and music to describe his perfect world); self-confessed 'young and gangly' student comic Alex Kealy (whose set examined the contents of Chat magazine); and Nicola Mantalious-Lovett (whose upbeat Geordie delivery combined with fairly adult material was somewhat reminiscent of Sarah Millican's style).

For the first time, this year's awards were sponsored by Sims 3 - the critically acclaimed best-selling life simulation videogame. It signals the start of a marketing strategy which will see the software company making a very welcome significant investment into the UK comedy industry over the next few years.

The company's aim is to communicate to fans that The Sims 3 features a quirky sense of humour, with the game offering users the chance to "wield ultimate control on your Sims to create incredibly funny moments - Life is yours to play with!"