Jo Caulfield, Ninia Benjamin and Mark Nelson have jointly won the award for Circuit Comedian of the Year.

The comedy industry voted resulted in a triple tie so the award this year – won last year by Scott Bennett – will be shared.

Sean Lock posthumously picks up the Outstanding Achievement Award.

Best MC went to Paul Smith, a regular compere at the Hot Water Club in Liverpool.

Best Independent Promoter is shared between Peter Vincent, who books Manford's Comedy Club chain and runs Ten Feet Tall and Catch 22 Comedy Club and Andy White, who runs the Jesterlarf Comedy Club and the Cambridge Comedy Festival (and also happens to administer these awards).

Some words from the winners:

Jo Caulfield said: "Firstly I am lucky that I got this news as I didn’t actually read Andy’s original email, because, as we all know, anything that’s more than four lines is not a gig offer. Every comedian knows an email with more than four lines is someone asking you to do something for no money. As for the award: it must say something about me that I get an award for Best Circuit Comic in a year when the comedy circuit was decimated. You lot are taking the piss, aren’t you?

Sharing the award with Mark and Ninia shows what a wealth of talent there is on our circuit. I am proud to be part of our family and can’t wait to see how much the award fetches on eBay."

Mark Nelson said: "Wow, I am genuinely speechless. Honestly stunned by this. To be respected by other comics that I love is genuinely overwhelming. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me."

Ninia Benjamin said: "Oh my days. My gob has been well and truly smacked. This means even more than many of you can guess cause it comes from my comics. Thank you Thank you big time. I'm smiling."

Paul Smith said: "That’s amazing! I don’t know what to say I’m so happy with that. Thank you so much. Just want to thank everyone who voted for me it really means a lot. I love what I do and to be recognised by peers is an honour."

Peter Vincent said: "I’d like to thank everyone who has voted for me, in what has been a very difficult year for live comedy. I’d also like to thank the teams at the respective clubs, Lyndsey, Debi and Shaun at Manford’s, Charlotte, Dena and everyone at Ten Feet Tall. Without their hard work and support I would never be up for this award."

Andy White added: "Having been promoting comedy for 20 years this is a humbling honour and so thanks to everyone that voted for me. Obviously given that I run the admin for these awards (for the last 5 years) I’m uneasy winning this award and it looks dodgy but rest assured unless there’s hard cash involved such a heist doesn’t flick my switch. That said I feel slightly embarrassed winning this and would like to give my award to the Comedy Store which seems a travesty they’ve never won it before especially as they are the Rolls Royce of comedy and in fact they built the wheels that kick started the entire alternative comedy scene which was and is the roots of where comedy stands today."