ASMR show scoops 'comic originality' prize

The winners of the Malcolm Hardee Awards, named in memory of the audacious comic and promoter, have been announced.

Winner of the 2026 award for Comic Originality is Yogie Belle for his show Auditory Awakenings with Mr Tingles in the House of ASMR’ at PBH Free Fringe at Bannerman’s.

Surprised during his show by Hardee Awards judges, Yogie Belle, a film-maker from West London said: ‘I’m in eleventh heaven. It’s very unreal.

‘My show is about finding the joy in small things. There is a lot of noise currently in the world – so this is a show about the art of listening to small sounds and also to finding our own voice. We are all special – we just need to keep sight of that.’

Zoe Wohlfeld won the Cunning Stunt award, which celebrates the outrageous things Fringe performers do to gain attention during August.

She created a funeral procession of colourful clowns, drag queens and other performers through the streets of the city, in memory of Greyfriars Bobby, the dog commemorated in a famous statue, to promote her show Dog Funeral, at Underbelly.

She said after being surprised by Hardee judges: ‘Woah this is so cool! I’m incredibly moved that the funeral procession for Greyfriars Bobby received this great award!

‘I share this award with all of the performers who took time out of their busy Fringe schedules to take part in this stunt. Long live the memory of Greyfriars Bobby and don’t touch the nose!’

Superstition has it that rubbing the statue’s nose brings good luck – but it does cause damage to the metal.

The winner of the Hardee Award for The Act That Should Make a Million Quid was Kate Smurthwaite for writing and performing a new show every day – except Tuesdays – at Banshee Labyrinth, PBH Free Fringe.

Smurthwaite had been nominated in every category for her show, created from scratch every day, with no use of AI and no inclusion of old material.

She said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to win this award. This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge I’ve ever set myself.

‘I knew Malcolm Hardee when I was a new act and he was the captain of a very Wibbly Wobbly boat full of comedians of greatly varied aptitude and sobriety. He wanted comedy to take risks. I am not doing it again next year so please don’t ask.'

The shortlist for Comic Originality this year also included:

Absolute Bus Stops of Northern Europe and Beyond, Paradise @ the Vault
Harriet Dyer: Easily Distra..., Monkey Barrel
Mad Ron Presents Identity Theft - The Gameshow, PBH Free Fringe
Thermos Museum Books, Canon’s Gait, PBH Free Fringe
Kate Smurthwaite…..Banshee Labyrinth, PBH Free Fringe 

Shortlisted for Cunning Stunt were:

Dru Cripps, (Dru Cripps: Juicy Bits, Hoots Potterow) for putting up a blue plaque to commemorate his win last year
Nate Kitch (Nate Kitch: Replica, Gilded Balloon) for registering a fake comedy website and announcing himself as winner
Neil Davidson (Thermos Museum Books), for creating a pamphlet which told a story related to his show, which was given to audience members of his show at Canon’s Gait
Kate Smurthwaite for writing a completely new hour-long show every day.

The acts tipped to Make a Million Quid were:

Demi Adejuyigbe: Demi Adejuyigbe Sells Out, Pleasance
Harriet Dyer: Easily Distra…, Monkey Barrel
Lou Wall: Where Are All The Tall Grandmas?, Monkey Barrel
Peter Marino for Planet of the Grapes, an Epic, Tabletop Sci Fi Adventure, Pleasance

Past winners of Malcolm Hardee Awards include Bo Burnham, Trevor Noah, Stewart Lee, Jerry Sadowitz and Taskmaster's Phil Ellis (twice).

The panel of judges for the 2026 Hardees were comedy critics Bruce Dessau and Claire Smith, Ian Wolf of British Comedy Guide, writer and publicist Marissa Burgess and performer Mark Dean Quinn,  a previous winner.

The Malcolm Hardee Awards, which are supported by the British Comedy Guide, were launched in 2005 by comedy blogger John Fleming, who co-wrote Malcolm Hardee’s autobiography I Stole Freddie Mercury’s Birthday Cake. Hardee drowned in the Thames that year at the age of 55.

Published: 30 Aug 2026