Komedia are excited to announce the return of the Komedia New Comedy Award in 2023, in association with Comic Boom comedy club and Victoria Nangle. Entries for the Komedia New Comedy Award 2023 open from 2nd September 2022, with the semi-finals and Final taking place in January and February 2023.
MCs and judges include; Zoe Lyons (Bent Double), Simon Evans (BBC Radio 4), Barry Ferns (Angel Comedy), Mark Simmons (Jokes with Mark), as well as Mel Brown (Impressive PR), Mick Perrin (Comedy Producer/Promoter), Steve Bennett (Chortle), Bruce Dessau (Beyond The Joke), Julia Chamberlain (Comedy Promoter/Reviewer), Jade Gebbie (BBC Comedy Contract Writer), Marina Kobler (Komedia Co-Founder), Lex Hollingworth (Komedia Venue Manager/Programmer) and more.
Inaugural Komedia New Comedy Award 2020 winner Michael Akadiri has gone from strength to strength since his triumphant win of first place, establishing himself as a regular face on the comedy circuit. Michael made his television debut on ITV’s “The Stand Up Sketch Show” and is now represented by Blue Book Artist Management. His sell out debut show ‘No Scrubs’ premiered at the Pleasance Courtyard in the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe and was livestreamed on “Next Up.” He was also nominated for NextUp’s “Biggest Award in Comedy.” We continue to be incredibly proud of our very first Komedia New Comedy Award Winner 2020.
Marina Kobler (Komedia), Jill Edwards (Comic Boom comedy club) and Victoria Nangle (comedy critic) came together in 2020 to create this award and are very excited for its return in 2023. The aim of the Komedia New Comedy Award continues to be to discover and support exciting new comic talent, and to offer them opportunities to develop their comedy skills.
Jill Edwards of Comic Boom comedy club said, “I am ridiculously excited that we’re finally able to bring the Komedia New Comedy Award back after such challenging times for the comedy industry. It feels like a great time to be celebrating all the exciting new comedians bursting through on the comedy scene. I cannot wait to meet them all, and to crown one of them our Komedia New Comedy Award winner 2023.”
”The standard of entry blew our socks off in 2020, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2023,” says Victoria Nangle, “Comedic talents have just been exploding in the interim and I’m so excited at the prospect of showcasing the cream of the crop at Komedia.”
Applications open on the 2nd September 2022 for one month, with semi-finals in January and February 2023. The Komedia New Comedy Award 2022 winner will get a bespoke award, a bottle of fizz and a spot at Comic Boom comedy club at Komedia.
The award is open to comedians who have been gigging regularly for less than three years and have seven minutes of their own stand-up material, plus a clip they can send in with their application.
32 semi-finalists will be selected from clips and will be invited to perform across four semi-final heats. Further details for eligibility and how to enter will be available on the Komedia website.
The semi-finals will take place on four consecutive Tuesdays beginning 17th January 2023. Two comics from each one will be selected by the judges to go through to the Final. There will also be wildcards. The Final will be Headlined by our KNCA 2020 Winner Michael Akadiri, and MC’d by Angel Comedy’s Barry Ferns.
“We’re so looking forward to finally be able to run our second Komedia New Comedy Award.” says Komedia’s Marina Kobler, “The talents seen at our last award were awe inspiring and surpassed all our expectations. We can’t wait to welcome the next crop of new comedians breaking through and after three long years wait our stage is ready for the pick of the best. Excited!”
For more information and to enter (entry form live 2nd September) please visit
https://www.komedia.co.uk/brighton/about-us/komedia-new-comedy-award-2023/
