And Daniel Sloss takes People's Choice

Geraldine Hickey has won the top prize at the the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

The comic scooped the prize for most outstanding show for   What A Surprise, which told how she had found happiness in life at 40 with a job and partner she loved.

It received a slew of glowing reports including five stars from Melbourne newspaper The Age and four from Chortle.

 Accepting Hickey award she said it took her ‘many, many years,’ to get where she was, adding that she would dedicated the accoade to ‘anyone who’s in the middle of their career and at the tipping point of, "Is this working? Should I keep going? No one notices me."  Keep going. ’Cause I did. And look at me now.’

Hickey had previously been nominated for the award, which was previously called the Barry in honour of Barry Humphries, in 2019.  That was the year organisers chose to rename the accolade following a furore over the Dame Edna Everage creator’s comments about transgender people.

This year’s other nominees were  Aaron Chen for Sorry Forever, David Quirk for Astonishing Obscurity, Ivan Aristeguieta for Pinata, Luke Heggie for Lowbreed, Michelle Brasier for Average Bear, Nikki Britton for One Small Step and Reuben Kaye for The Butch is Back.

Scotland’s Daniel Sloss, one of the few international acts to be allowed into Australia to gig, took home the people’s choice award, which is given the comedian with the most ticket sales. 

The director’s choice award went to New Zealand comic Melanie Bracewell for The Rumours Are True.

Best newcomer was won by Charlie Zangel, making his stand-up debut after performing at previous festivals under as his drag alter-ego  Charity.

The Golden Gibbo, awarded to an independent show with artistic ambition, went to Nat Harris and Hannah Camilleri for Pet-Nat + Han ah Chocolat. The comics’ choice award went to Greg Larsen for This Might Not Be Hell.

Published: 17 Apr 2021