London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Australian comic wins Edinburgh comedy award

Australian comic wins Edinburgh comedy award

Australian comic Sam Campbell has won the top prize for his show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

After a "truly outstanding" year, judges at Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards announced Campbell as their best comedy show winner.

Simply called Comedy Show, it was described as original, surreal and full of unexpected jokes.

Previous winners include Russell Kane and Rose Matafeo.

The honour, which is now in its 40th year and was formerly known as the Perrier Award, will see the Australian collect £10,000 in prize money.

It was presented by Kane, who won in 2010, and Jordan Brookes who took the title the last time the awards took place, in 2019.

Nica Burns, director of Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, said it had been a "truly outstanding international year".

She said Campbell's show was "original, sometimes surreal" and was full of jokes which were "often unexpected".

She added: "He changes gear throughout and takes his audience on a journey of laughter."

He has received warm reviews, with The Times' reviewer describing him as an "exhausting... exhilarating" presence and adding "there's genius going on there".

The Guardian says he "splices manic stand-up, unexpected cameos and dotty visual gags on-screen... it's the incongruity, taken to uncommon lengths, that's funny".

Campbell beat nine other contenders including Seann Walsh, the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant, and Alfie Brown, the son of Jan Ravens.

Sam Campbell was joined by Sian Davies, of Best in Class, and Lara Ricote in winning awards


Lara Ricote, a hard of hearing Mexican-born performer who was brought up in the US, was awarded a £5,000 prize after being named best newcomer for her show, GRL/LATNX/DEF.

The awards, sponsored by the TV channel Dave, also awarded a panel prize of £5,000 to Best in Class, a crowd-funded, profit-sharing initiative that helped working-class comedians from across the UK to perform at this year's Fringe.

Burns said Ricote's debut at the festival had been "an absolute delight", describing her as being "completely distinct and very funny".

The director said: "She is a standout performer who happens to be hard of hearing."

Speaking about the awards overall, she said: "We've had the widest representation from across the whole country, from Scotland to Sussex and everywhere in between.

"The panel prize for Best in Class championing and supporting those who cannot afford the cost of performing in Edinburgh has caught the spirit of this year's Fringe."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
×