Rich Hall has won an award at the Aspen comedy festival for his character Otis Lee Crenshaw.

His redneck blues singer has been named best alternative act at the eighth US Comedy Arts Festival in Coloarado.

The event is a key date in the diaries of American TV executives, and organisers boast of the number of TV deals that hatch there.

Los Angeles comic Dwayne Kennedy was named best stand-up, and poet Taylor Mali won the best one-person show award.

The event this year was based on the theme of free speech, director Oliver Stone, cartoonist Garry Trudeau and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker took part in a debate on censorship.

And Whoopi Goldberg was presented with the AFI Star Award, recognising excellence in film and television. Past recipients inlcude Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, Monty Python, Robin Williams and, Steve Martin.

Garth Marenghi's Netherhead, and The Sketch Show, featuring Lee Mack, Kitty Flanagan, Karen Taylor, Jim Tavare and Tim Vine, were the other British-based acts at the event, sponsored by cable network HBO.

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