Entries now open

BBC Radio have launched their new comedy award for 2014.

Entries are now open for the stand-up talent hunt that counts Alan Carr, Peter Kay, Sarah Millican and Russell Howard among its previous finalists.

This year’s heats will air on Radio 4 Extra, with semi-finals and live final broadcast on Radio 2.

Recent winners of the competition are Angela Barnes, Lucy Beaumont and Steve Bugeja, who after winning last year;s award was signed up by agents Avalon, who booked him to support Russell Kane on tour. He is currently developing a pilot for BBC radio, as part of his prize which also includes £1,000 cash. Here he writes about what the award meant to him.

Heats kick off at the Edinburgh Fringe and will climax with a live final on December 8 at The Comedy Store in London.

Entries close on July 7, and competitors must not have been performing regularly on the stand-up circuit for more than five years.

Visit the BBC website for full terms, and to apply.

Published: 12 Jun 2014