Malcolm Hardee Award winners announced for 2025

Celebrating 'the spirit of anything-goes comedy anarchy'

The winners 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’.

Paul Campbell, was awarded the prize for comic originality for The Lost Tapes of Somerfield at Hoots. His show delves into his intense grief about the closure of his favourite branch of Somerfield in Stretford, Manchester.

Kate Copstick, who has judged the awards since they began in 2005, the year of Hardee’s death, said: ‘It is thrilling to find a show and a performer like The Lost Tapes of Somerfield and Paul Campbell.

‘This is quintessential Hardee. Unexpectable, and from the heart and the soul. Fuck knows what he will do next year... Lidl is just not that exciting.'

Campbell was presented with his trophy at the end of his show, which takes place in a shipping container at Hoots Potterow.

He said: ‘I am really happy because I put so much thought into this and worked hard to try and make good because I really loved Somerfield.

‘I wanted to make a show that was accessible but really expressed how much I love Somerfield. So I’m so happy that I was able to create something that people seem to have enjoyed.'

Phil Ellis was picked by the judges as the act that should make a million quid. Previously awarded the comic originality prize in 2023, Phil is due to take part in the next series of Taskmaster.

Phil and Hardee award

He was surprised with his award at the end of his show Soppy Stern at Monkey Barrel. On being told the Malcolm Hardee panel thought he should make a million quid, just before he was about to take donations at the end of his show, he said: ‘A million quid. That puts a lot of pressure on the bucket.’

Ellis said later: ‘Winning one Malcolm Hardee award was a dream, but winning two is overwhelming. It means a lot to have so much support from people, and especially people who appreciate a little bit of chaos. It’s capped off a wonderful year at the Fringe. I still haven’t met Malcolm though, which feels a bit rude, on his part!’

Ellis was last night also named as joint winner of the ISH Comedy Award for best show, shared with Canadian Mark Forward.

Dru Cripps was awarded the cunning stunt award - which recognises the bizarre efforts some comics make to publicise their Edinburgh Fringe shows - for fishing for punters walking through the underpass at Potterow to advertise his musical show Juicy Bits.

Dru with fishing rod

Surprised by awards judge Claire Smith, Cripps asked: ‘Are you from the council?’. He fished for the award from his perch on the bridge, successfully hooking a bag containing the trophy.

Cripps said: ‘I don’t care about any other awards at the Fringe apart from this one. It’s the last hope of keeping the Fringe and the Fringe spirit alive.

'The first time I came to the Fringe I did my show in a bus. This makes me feel there is support for artists like me who want to keep the Fringe a fringe.’

The full list of nominees was:

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