The nominees for the first if.comeddie awards have been announced in Edinburgh.
They are, for the main award:
- David O'Doherty Is My Name
- Russell Howard: Wandering
- Phil Nicol: The Naked Racist
- Paul Sinha: Saint or Sinha?
- We Are Klang: Klangbang (Greg Davies, Steve Hall and Marek Larwood, pictured)
And for best newcomer:
- Fat Tongue
- God's Pottery: Concert for La Vert
- Andrew Lawrence: How To Butcher Your Loved Ones
- Josie Long: Kindness and Exuberance
- Russell Kane's Theory of Pretension
There will also be a £4,000 Panel Prize for the show judges think most encapsulates the spirit of the Fringe, but there is no shortlist for this.
Awards producer Nica Burns said: 'What a brilliant shortlist! These very different shows reflect a huge breadth of comedy talent - something for everyone's funny bone. A vintage year for fringe regulars Phil Nicol and David O'Doherty, a terrific sketch show from the Klangs, youthful exuberance from Russell Howard and a brilliant swipe at society's ills from Brummie doctor Paul Sinha.'
The if.comeddies have replaced the Perrier award after the mineral-water sponsor decided not to renew its backing of the event after 25 years. They are now sponsored by internet bank Intelligent Finance.
This year’s judges are Sunday Times comedy critic Stephen Armstrong, who chairs the panel, Times comedy reviewer, Dominic Maxwell, Rory Weller from Metro newspaper, Paramount Comedy Channel’s Sarah Mahoney, BBC Radio producer Victoria Lloyd, Leciester Comedy Festival director Geoff Rowe and public representatives Helen Heggie, Matthew Swynnerthon and Samantha Terry.
