After 1,089 performances of 756 shows

The Leicester Comedy Festival has announced the nominees for its annual awards.

They are:

Best Kids Show

Jude Simpson: A Noise Annoys
Shelf: The Kids Show 2 – The Power of 2
Spencer Jones Kids Show
Story Time with Mama G
The Rubbish Shakespeare Company: Romeo & Juliet

Best Variety Show

Bad Clowns: Long Live The King!
Giddy Aunt Improv
Lady Bolognese: CLASS WAR
Peter Fleming’s Dismally I11-Prepared TV Pub Quiz
Playing God with Benjamin Alborough (WIP)
Plastic Jeezus: Second Debut Show (WIP)
Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick: Soul Sewage

Best New Show

Alexandra Haddow: Work In Progress
Andrew White: What a Life (WIP)
Caitriona Dowden: Sesh Head (WIP)
Luke Rollason: The Poolboy (WIP)
Max Fulham: Work in Progress
Russell Hicks: A Work That is Forever in Progress (an actual work in progress)
Toussaint Douglass: Purple Drizzle

Best Debut Show

Celine Kuklowsky: Bed Boy (WIP)
James Ellis: Craig (Work in Progress)
Jessica Barton: Dirty Work
Michelle Ahern: Are We There Yet? (WIP)
Saaniya Abbas: Hellarious
Richard Dadd: Not The Guy From Baby Reindeer

Best Show

Aidan Jones: Chopin’s Nocturne
Alex Kealy: Work-in-Progress
Brennan Reece: Live
Jacob Hawley: Work In Progress
Joz Norris Is Hugh Jackman Is The Phantom of the Opera
Ruby Carr: Bite Me

Best Poster

Katie Pritchard is: Sir Elton Scone (designed by Katie Pritchard)
Richard Todd: Pencil Case (designed by Richard Todd)
Lucy Pearman: Lunartic (designed by Will Andrews)
Olaf Falafel: I Used To Work in A Helium Balloon Factory Until They Let Me Go (designed by Olaf Falafel)
Rob Kemp: Pivot (designed by Paul Banks)

Best Promoter

TripleCeePee
Jokes On Us
LaughterCraft
Just The Tonic
Monster Comedy
Den of Laughs
Foxy Comedy

Best Small Venue

The Big Difference
Firebug
Duffy’s
The Black Horse
Kayal

Best Large Venue

De Montfort Hall
Curve Theatre
Wycliffe Rooms
The Y Theatre
Leicester Cathedral

Best New Venue

Soft Touch Arts
Hive & Honey
The Kneaded Pint
Everards Beer Hall
Leicester Indoor Bowls Club

Liberty Award for Spirit of the Festival

Wrestling with the Champ
The Festival Hub
DMU Special Collection
Real Ale Classroom
Firebug
Liebenspiel

Tracey Miller Community Award

North Mead Primary Academy
Leicester Libraries
Menphys
Soft Touch Arts

Student of the Year

Roxana-Mihaela Blaj
Molly Oliver
Emma Tung
Amber Sutherland
Alex Milton

Business Contribution

Kangaroo
Howes Percival
Everards
Steep Soda
Teesh
The Grand Hotel

Contribution to Leicester Comedy Festival 2026

Highcross Shopping Centre
Cultural Quarter Earlies
Visit Blaby
TripleCeePee

Winners will be announced on March 11.

Last month’s festival featured 1,089 performances across 756 shows, including 128 sell-outs.

Michael Harris-Wakelam, CEO of Big Difference, the charity behind the festival, said: ‘’2026 has marked another exceptional year for Leicester Comedy Festival, with the quality and diversity of the shows clearly reflected in this outstanding list of nominees. 

‘Our incredible community has once again come together bring the festival to life with weeks of laughter across Leicestershire.’

As previously announced Adam Ernest Pickard – a finalist in the Chortle Student Comedy Award – won the  UK Pun Championships and Chloe Reynolds was named  Leicester Comedian of the Year 2026: Chloe Reynolds

Programme director Charlotte Laidet added: ‘We’re immensely proud of this year’s festival, which once again celebrated the very best of comedy in all its forms.

‘Leicester has been buzzing with talent from across the country – from rising stars to well-known favourites. It’s been fantastic to see audiences embracing the spirit of the festival, enjoying more comedy in more venues than ever before.’

The event runs in parallel with the UK Kids’ Comedy Festival, which this year featured 70 events,.

Published: 4 Mar 2026