The prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Awards is looking for new sponsorship options to enable them to continue..
Following the return and 40th anniversary of the awards in 2022 TV comedy channel Dave, who supported the Awards in 2019 and 2022, have decided to focus on other initiatives within the comedy industry.
The Awards organisers, led by founder and director Nica Burns, has issued the following release:
"As everyone across the arts knows, post Covid the commercial landscape has changed significantly: marketing and sponsorship budgets are under huge pressure and the pool of ethically appropriate sponsors diminished.
Sadly, in this environment, we have been unable to secure a new title sponsor for 2023. It has become clear that we need to change the funding model, to think beyond one large title sponsor, to raise money from a mix of sources. To support this new structure, we are in the process of placing the Awards into a charitable trust. This will enable us to put syndicates together, thereby raising smaller amounts of money and accessing different budgets from companies and individuals. The core principles at the heart of the Awards will remain: they will continue to operate an open-access, independent, thorough, inclusive and fair judging process comprising senior members of the comedy industry, comedy critics and comedy fans representing the public.
That is our future: however, for the Awards to take place this year, we need some help. We are calling out for potential heroes asking them to step forward with support so we do not have to pause the awards for 2023 and we can continue to find and spotlight the next generation of talent at this year’s Festival."
Burns added: "I am a passionate advocate of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the vital role it plays in acting as a springboard for many careers, including my own. I remain committed to the Awards which I have fought for and grown over the last four decades and I am proud of their role in spotlighting outstanding comedy talent. As the Comedy section has expanded to become such a significant genre of the Fringe, so have the costs of running the Awards.
Having stepped in and personally sponsored them twice over the years, I will be the first to put money on the table for 2023, but post Covid can no longer do it on my own. I am therefore inviting the comedy industry and all potential partners to get in touch immediately to help make the Awards happen this year. There are a number of possibilities including contributing to sponsoring each Award and/or the Presentation. You can get in touch at [email protected].”
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society says: "The Edinburgh Comedy Awards have been a really important part of the Fringe landscape for the last forty years, providing crucial funding for the winners and a major opportunity to comics taking part in the Festival. Comedy is critically underfunded, but a huge part of the Fringe, and we know that artists, venues and the wider comedy community will want us to work collaboratively to support the ECA in any way we can, in redeveloping and securing a sustainable future for the Awards. Nica has worked tirelessly to make these Awards happen every year, with so much personal investment along the way. The Awards have become an institution in their own right now, and we look forward to them continuing to evolve and grow in the years to come."
Cherie Cunningham, Channel Director for Dave added: "We took the difficult decision at the end of last year not to continue with our sponsorship of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. It was a fantastic privilege to be part of such a prestigious event, and we thank Nica and all at the Awards for two hugely rewarding years full of great comedy. We hope they continue to go from strength to strength and continue supporting new comedy and up and coming comedians."
The Awards cost £200,000 a year to run (excluding annual overheads) which includes the prize money, accommodation for up to 35 people (scouts, judges, panel and Edinburgh administration team), publicity and marketing, events, officiating lawyer and Edinburgh set-up and Edinburgh administration team costs. There are no full-time staff and annual overheads are paid for by Nica Burns.
Nica Burns subsidised the administrative costs and sponsored the Awards herself in 2009 and 2018; that is not a viable long-term solution which will guarantee the future of the Awards. A new funding model will give the Awards a broader platform from which to raise investment in the short and long-term. This will ensure their longevity and give them space to grow and respond to the demands of the comedy landscape.
There is no guarantee that the awards will return but the process has started to ensure their survival. If the Awards don’t go ahead this year, newcomers performing at the 2023 Fringe will be eligible for the 2024 Awards as long as at least 50% of their material is new.
