Malcolm Hardee Award nominees announced for 2025

Celebrating 'the spirit of anything-goes comedy anarchy'

The nominees have been revealed for this year’s Malcolm Hardee Awards.

The awards are handed out in the memory of the comic, club-owner and prankster and are designed to ‘celebrate and promote the spirit of anything-goes comedy anarchy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’.

Acts included in the Comic Originality section include Lucy Pearman, who performs in the character of the moon; Joz Norris, with his absurdist deconstruction of the comedian’s art; and Paul Campbell, whose show is all about the closure of his favourite branch of Somerfield in Stretford. Alan Resnick ‘traumatised the judges with the late-night AI penis spectacle which is part of his show, but made the shortlist’.

Liebenspiel at Bedlam, who are presenting a variety of late-night comedy shows have also been nominated for Comic Originality. The list also features the deadpan Johnny White Really-Really; Nate Kitch, nominated for a second year in a row; and Stephen Catling, who is performing a show while wearing a slug mask.

The nominations for the Cunning Stunt Award are Narin Oz, for live-streaming a negative press review of her show; New Zealand comic Dan Boerman for bringing hundreds of people to the top of Calton Hill to watch him fold a fitted sheet; Dru Cripps for fishing for punters using his flyers as bait; and Rob Duncan for creating flyers live in the street.

This year’s shortlist for the Act that Should Make A Million Quid features seven names: Alice Cockayne, Andrew O'Neill, Christopher MacArthur-Boyd, Molly McGuinness, Phil Ellis, Sam Nicoresti and Toussaint Douglass.

First awarded to Bo Burnham for his Fringe debut in 2010, last year it was picked up by Garry Starr, who went on to win the most outstanding show award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

The judging panel comprises Marissa Burgess, Kate Copstick, Bruce Dessau, Claire Smith and Ian Wolf.

Dessau said: ‘If you want to see comedy in all of its mucky, inventive, irreverent glory then look no further than the acts on this list. They all channel the anarchic do-what-you-like spirit of Malcolm Hardee while harnessing it to a unique creative spirit of their own. Long live the children of Hardee!’

Copstick, who has judged the awards since they began in 2005, the year of Hardee’s death, said: ‘We are the last bastion of "TV is not the be all and end all of comedy creativity" and we are sorely needed these days.’

The nominees are

Comic Originality

Alan Resnick: One Funny Hour
23:25, Monkey Barrel

Johnny White Really-Really: am/pm
12:30, The Hive

Joz Norris: You Wait. Time Passes.
19:10, Pleasance Dome

Liebenspiel (Bedlam Late)
00:30, Bedlam Theatre

Lucy Pearman: Lunartic
13:00, Cabaret Voltaire

Nate Kitch: Something Different!!!!!
17:00, Gilded Balloon Patter House

Paul Campbell: The Lost Tapes of Somerfield
13:00, Hoots @ Potterrow

Stephen Catling: Moving On... Really, Really Slowly
19:30, The Counting House

Cunning Stunt

Dan Boerman
For bringing hundreds of people to the top of Calton Hill to watch him fold a fitted sheet.
Dan Boerman Folds a Fitted Sheet on His Own, Hoots @ The Apex, 18:20

Dru Cripps
For fishing for punters, using his fliers as bait.
Dru Cripps: Juicy Bits, Hoots @ Potterrow, 21:00

Narin Oz
For live-streaming a negative press review of her show.
Narin Oz: Inner Child(ish), Just The Tonic at The Mash House, 16:00

Rob Duncan
For creating flyers live in the street, using his own printer.
Rob Duncan: Printer of the Year 2024, Carbon, 18:45