Winners of the sixth annual Comedy Poster Awards were revealed tonight at a ceremony hosted by comedian Rich Wilson at the Gilded Balloon’s Patter Hoose, at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Celebrating the wide breadth of creativity at the annual festival – the world’s largest open-access arts festival – the awards were founded in 2014, and return after the Fringe’s covid-enforced two-year absence.
More than 200 posters for comedy productions taking place in Scotland’s capital this month were entered to this year’s contest, with a panel of judges determining the outcome of one of two prizes, and a public poll the other. In both instances, the winner will receive a package of free poster placements around the city at next year’s Fringe, courtesy of Edinburgh City Council’s advertising partner, Out of Hand.
Voting took place at The Comedy Poster Awards’ official website (https://www.comedy.co.uk/posters/), run by its media partner, British Comedy Guide, and closed at midnight on Friday.
Whilst a well-orchestrated fan voting campaign saw Kunt and the Gang’s poster near the top position, the poster for Jordan Gray: Is It A Bird? took home the title this year. It was designed by Gray, Dylan Woodley, and Jonny Woolley, and photographed by Woodley. Other public favourites included Kirsty Mann, 2 Mouthed Men and 2019 vote winner Sofie Hagen.
Meanwhile, the judging panel – comprising of art director Pete Collins, graphic designer Julia McGill, and Campaign magazine editor Maisie McCabe – selected the retro phone inspired Milo Edwards: Voicemail as their winner, citing its particularly well-executed concept. It was photographed by Victor Pãtrãşcan and designed by Haiminh Le.
The panel’s shortlist also included Jordan Gray, Adam Flood: Clayhead, Krystal Evans: Kaleidoscope, Radu Isac: Pandemic and Sara Barron: Hard Feelings.
Jordan said of her win: “Oi, fanks for votin' for me - that's proper nice. I'm well chuffed.
"As a transgender woman, at a time that trans people are under attack so often - it's so lovely to know that the walls of Edinburgh city this year are plastered with my tits and penis.
"But the real heroes are Dylan Woodley and Jonny Woolley, along with my show's overlord [producer], Zach Zucker.”
Milo says: "The Comedy Poster Award is the big one, it's what everyone comes to the Fringe to win, with a close second being that 'Can you hang on this bar for 100 seconds?' thing on Bristo Square. It's wonderful that this reproduction of my face (which I grew myself) has resonated with the judges, but the real credit has to go to my amazing designer Haiminh Le and photographer Victor Pãtrãşcan."
Comedy producer Gina Lyons, the founder of the awards, who is currently in pre-production on Amazon Freevee’s US adaptation of Friday Night Dinner, comments: "We have two fantastic, very worthy winners for 2022 - both unique pieces of design, with Jordan Gray arising, phoenix-like, much like the resurgent post-covid Fringe itself. This larger-than-life presentation, coupled with striking use of text and colour, have helped draw audiences to her 5-star-rated show.
"Milo's poster, meanwhile, is much more muted in style and colour but a wonderful concept executed beautifully; these two winners show, perhaps, two extremes of the wide variety of artwork to be seen across Scotland's capital this summer, proving that the tumult witnessed since the 2019 Comedy Poster Awards has done nothing to dampen the creative brilliance of those photographers, designers, make-up artists, stylists and others working to fashion bold, exciting art for their clients' shows.
"What I love most about these awards is the fact they're judged solely on the finished design - the winner isn't decided by how much money they've spent getting their posters on walls around Edinburgh. It's truly fair, and as ever, I can't wait to see what next year's contest will have in store."
All entries can be browsed at The Comedy Poster Awards’ website (https://www.comedy.co.uk/posters/).
The awards will return in 2023.
