The new Edinburgh Fringe comedy award for Scottish acts is to be named in honour of comedian Paul Sneddon.

The McTavish Award – named after Sneddon’s stage name Vladimir McTavish – comes with a £2,500 prize and other benefits.

The Stand Comedy Club initially announced the award last month, pointing out that since 1981, when what is now the Edinburgh Comedy Award was first introduced, only five of the approximately 230 nominees for the main prize have been based in Scotland.

Now it has announced the name in honour of Sneddon – who died two weeks ago at the age of 70. He was a director of The Stand and a key figure in the Scottish comedy scene more widely.

The club said: ‘Beyond his achievements on stage, Paul was renowned for his kindness, generosity and unwavering support for fellow performers. He championed Scottish talent throughout his career, and The McTavish Award has been created to honour that legacy by recognising and celebrating exceptional Scottish comedians.’

The List magazine and The Comedy Unit production company are also backing the award, sponsored by the W hotel.

Acts do not need to apply to be considered. Any Scottish or Scottish-based comic performing a solo show of at least 50 minutes, over a minimum of eight nights, is automatically eligible. The Stand will contact acts, or their venue, to arrange a ticket for a judge. Anyone who has not heard from the organisers by August 14 should email hannah.campbell@thestand.co.uk.

The Stand is also looking for volunteer judges to attend Fringe shows between August 5 and 21. It is hoping for a diverse range of comedy fans who can judge shows fairly. Anyone interested can apply through this online form by July 23.

A long list will be announced on August 21, before a panel of judges draws up a shortlist. The winner will be announced at The List's Fringe awards at W Edinburgh on August 28.

The Stand previously announced it was sponsoring five Scottish-based comedians to meet the cost of performing at the Fringe: Ifrah Qureshi, Matthew Gallagher, Chris Rutter, Amanda Dwyer and Jack Brookmyre.

The venue has traditionally not been in favour of comedy prizes, seeing them as bringing unnecessary competition into what should be a pure art form, but has recently relaxed its stance, including hosting a heat of the Magners Share the Craic comedy search.

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