Ayoade Bamgboye best newcomer; Comedy Club 4 Kids takes the Victoria Wood Award

Sam Nicoresti has won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for the best show on the Fringe, becoming the first trans comedian to take the accolade.

Accepting the prize, they said: ‘A year ago, my girlfriend asked me to marry her. We were talking about how we're going to pay for the wedding. I joked that I should just win the Edinburgh Comedy Award… I've got to hand it to you, this is one hell of a punchline.’

They also thanked director David Hardcastle saying ‘he knocked it out of the park’, having never directed before. They also thanked their PR Julian Hall and agent Holly Ebdon and tech, Ethan Davis, as well as the Keep It Fringe funds ‘without which I wouldn't have been able to pay for my shitty little one-bedroom flat.'

‘Thank you to [partner] Becky. Thank you for loving me and giving me a sort of an idea for a show.’

They signed off by saying 'trans rights are human rights' and 'Free Palestine'.

Ayoade Bamgboye won the best newcomer prize. Accepting the award, she said: ‘This is so nice. I’m hungover’ and thanked her team and her parents, adding; ‘This means more than you know.’

The Victoria Wood Award, formerly known as the panel prize, went to Comedy Club 4 Kids.

Organiser  Isabelle Adam  said: ‘About 20 years ago, [comedian] James Campbell had the idea, what if a child, even though they're a child, could watch some of the funniest performers out there. And what if a child could also do it themselves?’

Since then, the organisation has run countless shows and workshops, and Adam told the audience of comedians and industry figures: ‘Some of the people who are in this room have done our shows. They've done our podcasts. They know the joy of getting a child to properly laugh.

‘If a kid's enjoying it, they'll let you know, if the kid is not enjoying it, they will also let you know, so some apologies to some of the people in the room.’

She said the £5,000 prize would allow them to go on to ‘bigger and better things’ such as extra workshops to allow more children from lower income households to participate. ‘Everyone should have access to comedy,’ she said. ‘It makes everyone stand taller.’

Their award was announced by Sam Bryant, who chaired the judging panel. He said: 'I know I speak for the whole panel when I say what a massive privilege and joy it’s been to see so much incredible live comedy here.

'It is paramount that we make sure new young audiences get that live comedy bug too - and that young people keep making the same realisation that all the comedians here made at some point in their lives, that performing comedy is something that could be for them, whatever their backgrounds.'

'This year’s Victoria Wood Foundation prize is going to an organisation that’s spent the last 20 years dedicated to exactly that idea. Founded right here at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, they run live shows for kids and families across the country, shows in which many previous winners and nominees of these awards have taken part.

'They also run workshops teaching kids the basics of stand-up comedy, helping their confidence and wellbeing, as well as creating new generations of comedians - in fact, some of the graduates are here this year as performers as well as audience members.'

Edinburgh Comedy Awards director Nica Burns said: 'Our 2025 winners capture the spirit of comedy right now: bold, brilliant, and deeply connected to audiences. In very different ways, they’ve each created shows that feel utterly of this moment, sparking laughter while saying something lasting. Together, they remind us why the Fringe matters, a place where the freshest voices can shine. The future of British comedy is in excellent hands.

 'Sam Nicoresti’s Baby Doomer is a masterfully woven, polished and delightfully human show that captures an essential moment with, to paraphrase her words, laughs by the seconds. Packed with relatable set pieces that linger long after, Sam is a fresh, bright voice that we need in 2025.

'Ayoade Bamgboye’s debut hour is electric, constantly keeping you on your toes. What begins as an everyday anecdote about the Co-Op unfolds into a rich, often surreal world, layered with profound emotional depth. She delivers it all with remarkable charisma and presence. Ayoade has a brilliant future ahead of her.'

Hosting the ceremony, last year’s winner Amy Gledhill joked about there being no Scottish acts on the shortlist again. 

She said: ‘We've got people nominated from all over the world, from as far away from here as Australia and as close to here as England. But none from Scotland. 

‘It’s not because the Scottish acts aren't funny or deserving, it’s because they’ve got strong accents and you can't understand them. I think they should have their own festival somewhere!’

The full shortlist for best comedy show, as sponsored by the Taffner Family, was:

• Dan Tiernan: All In
• Ed Night: Your Old Mucker
• Ian Smith: Foot Spa Half Empty
• John Tothill: This Must Be Heaven
• Katie Norris: Go West, Old Maid
• Sam Jay: We The People
• Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer
• Creepy Boys: SLUGS

And the full shortlist  for the DLT  Entertainment Best Newcomer Award was:

• Ada and Bron: The Origin of Love
• Ayoade Bamgboye: Swings and Roundabouts
• Elouise Eftos: Australia’s First Attractive Comedian
• Kate Owens: Cooking With Kathryn
• Molly McGuinness: Slob
• Roger O’Sullivan: Fekken
• Toussaint Douglass: Accessible Pigeon Material

Here are the nominees talking  about what it was like to make the shortlist.

And here are the best newcomers:

When the shortlists were announced last week, Sam Bryant, chair of the judging panel, said: ‘The Edinburgh Comedy Awards have always been a launchpad for the next generation of talent, and that role feels more important than ever.

‘Our panel and scouts dedicated themselves to the process, seeing more than 1,200 hours of comedy across the festival, to ensure that this year’s shortlists reflect the breadth of voices, styles and opportunities shaping the future of the art form.’

 Sam Bryant: Director of Original Content and Comedy Commissioner, Audible (Chair)
Josh Buckingham: Executive Producer, Hat Trick Productions
Ashley Davies: Freelance Arts Journalist, Metro, Times Scotland, Scotsman
Shukri Dirie: Development Producer, Scripted, BBC TalentWorks
Tristram Fane Saunders: Freelance Journalist and Comedy Critic, The Telegraph and Editor of The Little Review
Rachael Healy: Arts journalist and critic at The Observer and The Guardian
James Robinson: Executive Producer, BBC Studios Audio
Janet Jackson: Public panellist
Krishna Kapur: Public panellist
Justine Teasdale: Public panellist

Published: 23 Aug 2025