The ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards have announced the longlists for their 2026 Best Show and Best Newcomer Awards, celebrating the comedians who have made the biggest impression on the Awards' volunteer judging panel at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. There are 60 on the long-lists this year, 39 for Best Show, 21 for Best Newcomer
The lists are below and can now be viewed on the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards website www.edinburghcomedyawards.com. From here, the judges face the formidable task of whittling the selections down to short-lists before the winners are announced at the ceremony late night Friday 28th August.
This year marks the fourth year of the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards and its biggest prize fund yet, with 100% of the £16,000 sponsorship going directly to artists across five awards. Best Show carries a £5,000 prize, Best Newcomer £4,000, the Panel Prize £5,000, with £1,000 for Best Tech and £1,000.01 for the Takeover Radio 106.9FM Joke of the Fringe.
The growth of the Awards has been driven by comedians and artists backing other comedians and artists. Returning supporters include James Corden, Rhod Gilbert, Elf Lyons and Takeover Radio 106.9FM, while this year's new backers include Romesh Ranganathan, Sarah Millican and Mark Silcox.
All sponsorship goes directly into the prize fund, while the Awards are produced and judged by volunteers.
The ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards were founded by comedian Nathan Cassidy and are produced by Sarah Bowles. Around 30 volunteer judges have spent the Fringe seeing eligible comedy shows, looking for the performances that have stood out to them.
Nathan Cassidy said: “The ISH Awards are just a group of people going out, seeing as much as they possibly can and getting excited when they find something they think is exceptional. And this year that excitement has been backed …
… can be competitive, of course it can, but it can also be generous. These lists are full of people competing for awards, but the Awards themselves carry on because other artists have chosen to help them.”
Sarah Bowles said: “Putting together a long-list is always slightly mad because, by this point in the Fringe, everyone has seen so much comedy that their heads are full of it. But then you sit down and start talking about the …
… to everyone on these lists - and genuinely, if you're not on one, please don't read that as a judgement on your show. There are far more great shows at this Fringe than any long-list could ever contain.”
The next stage of the process will see the long-lists reduced to short-lists, which will be announced on Wednesday 26 August. Nominees will also be revealed then for the Elf Lyons backed Charlie Award for Tech and the Takeover Radio 106.9FM Joke of the Fringe. The James Corden/Rhod Gilbert Panel Prize will again recognise the people doing something exceptional for creatives at the Edinburgh Fringe. The ISH team welcomes suggestions for people, groups or initiatives making a genuine difference to artists this year. The winners of the 2026 ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards will be announced at the Awards ceremony on Friday 28 August.
Long-list for Romesh Ranganathan ISH Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show 2026
Adam Flood: Death of the Party – Monkey Barrel 22:00
Adam Greene: The Wizard of Ozempic – Just The Tonic @ The Hive 19:10
Amanda Dwyer: Better Than Revenge – The Stand 18:00
Andrew White: What a Life! - Monkey Barrel 17:45
Amy Matthews: Definitions of Toast - Monkey Barrel 15:00
Brennan Reece: Live – PBH @ Liquid Rooms 16:30
Chris Cantrill: Rewilding - Monkey Barrel 12:10
Chris Forbes: Father Christmas - Monkey Barrel 13:30
Chris Turner: In The Moment - Underbelly 17:20
Crybabies: The Scaring - Pleasance 20:00
Dan Tiernan Quartz and All – Monkey Barrel 22:25
Dru Cripps: Juicy Bits - Hoots @ Potterow 22:10
Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge – Pleasance 21:30
Eric Rushton: Could Well Be In – Monkey Barrel 14:55
Eryn Tett: Tasting Menu – Free Festival @ Bar 50 20:00
Gareth Mutch Means Well - The Stand 16:20
Harriet Dyer: Easily Distra… - Monkey Barrel 20:35
Hasan Al-Habib: Stuck in the Middle (East) With You – Pleasance 17:30
Jack Docherty: Butterfly – Gilded Balloon 19:30
Jason Byrne: 30 Years Byrning – Assembly Hall 19:10
John Kearns: Tilting at Windmills – Monkey Barrel 16:15
Jordan Brookes: The Part of You That’s Always Screaming - Pleasance 21:45
Joseph Murpurgo: Highlander 70 – Pleasance 19:00
Kate Dolan: Trout – Monkey Barrel Comedy 20:35
Lara Ricote: INKLING – Monkey Barrel 17:40
Larry Dean: Hellbent - Pleasance 18:30
Max Fulham: Memory Foam – Pleasance 19:00
Mothman: A Romance Musical - Underbelly 18:50
Olaf Falafel Presents: I Used to Work in a Helium Balloon Factory Until they Let Me Go – Free Festival @ The Pear Tree 14:30
Omar Badawy: Guided Detour – Pleasance 16:35
Paul Currie: REMOVE YOUR SKIN PLEASE - Free Festival @ Counting House 20:30
Paul Foot: The Future – Underbelly 19:20
Phil Nichol: Aren’t We Lucky – Gilded Balloon Teviot 17:20
Reuben Kaye: Hard to Swallow – Assembly George Square Gardens 20:00
Robin Grainger: Lemonade – Assembly George Square 20:20
Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick: Soul Sewage — Monkey Barrel 23:25
Sofie Hagen: I Think Some of This Is My Fault – Monkey Barrel 15.20
The Last Funny Woman (Kate Cheka) – PBH Free Fringe @ Voodoo Rooms 17:55
Tom Short: I Get ChatGPT To Write My Edinburgh Show – Hoots @ Nicolson Square 22:15
Long-list for Sarah Millican ISH Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer 2026
Anna Leong Brophy: Born Sexy Yesterday - Pleasance 17:40
Auditory Awakenings with Mr Tingles in the House of ASMR - PBH's Free Fringe @ Bannermans 12:15
Dane Buckley: Darling – Pleasance 18:00
Dom McGovern: Prize Hog – Pleasance 20:30
Enrico Touché: Hot Knees – Hoots @ Potterrow 16:30
Freddie Meredith: Need a Light? - Pleasance 17:50
Good Boy (Sorabh Dhir) – Hoots @ Hilton 14:00
Hannah Byczkowski: Killer – Gilded Balloon Teviot 17:10
Jack Ansett: Looks Like A Bit Of Me! – Assembly George Square Studios 16:00
Jack Brookmyre: Impressionable – The Stand 18:55
Jeromaia Detto: Giuseppe's Love Quest— Underbelly 18:45
Jonathan Oldfield: Exquisite Corpse – Pleasance 21:40
Justina Sesekskaite: Settled – Hoots @ Hilton 19:50
Madeleine Brettingham: Legend – Gilded Balloon 20:20
Marty Gleeson: Dog Ear – Pleasance 19:15
Matt Klein: Boyoyoyoyoing - PBH Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth 00:35
Matthew Gallagher: Last Minute – The Stand 20:50
Monks – Greenside @ George Street 19:35
Scout Boxall: God’s Favourite – Assembly George Square 16:20
Tarang Hardikar: If I'm Not Wrong – Pleasance 18:00
Those People – Pleasance 23:00
The Awards are judged and produced by volunteers, with sponsorship going directly into the prize fund for artists.
This year's supporters include James Corden, Rhod Gilbert, Elf Lyons, Takeover Radio 106.9FM, Romesh Ranganathan, Sarah Millican and Mark Silcox.
For eligibility criteria and further information, visit the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards website www.edinburghcomedyawards.com
