Comedians' Choice Awards 2018 winners revealed
- Paul Currie and Lou Sanders have won Best Show in the Comedians' Choice Awards 2018
- Laura Lexx was named Best Performer in the Edinburgh-based awards voted on by comedians
- Free Festival promoter Alex Petty was named Best Person
The winners of The Comedians' Choice Awards 2018 have been announced.
The Edinburgh Fringe-based accolades are voted on solely by comedy performers.
This year, due to a tie in votes, both Paul Currie and Lou Sanders have won the Best Show prize. Meanwhile Laura Lexx was named Best Performer.
Best Show: Paul Currie
Paul Currie: Hot Donkey, described in the brochure as "a new absurdist show from this turbo fool", has been performed at the Heroes @ The Hive venue at 8:40pm throughout the festival. British Comedy Guide's recommendation of the show noted it was "the most high octane, pure unadulterated fun you will ever have in a dark cave".
On receiving the prize, Currie said: "This is very unexpected. I couldn't have done it without [my technician] Kit Sullivan. Techs are very underrated."
Best Show: Lou Sanders
Lou Sanders: Shame Pig has been playing at Monkey Barrell at 12:30pm throughout August. The hour sees the stand-up discuss topics including "sobriety and unrequested sex". British Comedy Guide's reviewer noted: "Lou Sanders tackles difficult subjects like assault and alcoholism with the lightest of touches and lots of big laughs."
Sanders says of winning: "Uh oh. I'm worried this is going to make me even more of an absolute dick magnet."
Best Performer: Laura Lexx
Laura Lexx has been performing her show Trying at the Gilded Balloon at 5:15pm daily. British Comedy Guide's recommendation of her show notes Lexx is "a terrific stand-up".
Presented with a plaque outside the Gilded Balloon, Lexx said: "The fact that the people who also do what I do like what I do means the world to me."
Best Person: Alex Petty
The Best Person award is a chance for the comedians voting to recognise a person for their contribution to the Fringe.
This year the title is awarded to Alex Petty, the promoter behind Laughing Horse Comedy, the organisation that runs 25 venues in Edinburgh in August under the Free Festival banner. The Free Festival rooms include Cabaret Voltaire, The Counting House, Espionage and The Three Sisters.
Alex Petty: "Thank you to the Laughing Horse crew and the venues that help make the Free Festival happen - it's a team effort."
The Comedians' Choice Awards - formerly known as The Barry Awards (UK) - were founded in 2014 to help highlight the amazing work of those at the Fringe who may well otherwise go unrecognised, as judged by those who understand their efforts the best: their peers. Every comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe is eligible to cast a vote, and be voted for.
There is no panel of judges, nor other industry specialists: only performers themselves decide whom amongst them is worthy of special recognition at the festival. Voting is conducted during August via an online form administered by British Comedy Guide, with the website also verifying the voting data.
Previous winners include Mat Ewins, Spencer Jones and Bec Hill. Full list