Offering a prize of £500.01, Takeover Radio 106.9FM have announced that they will once again be running their Joke of the Fringe Award in partnership with the ISH Edinburgh Festival Awards. 

This award was launched last year after TV channel Dave stopped awarding their long-established Joke of the Fringe.

Based in Ashfield in north Nottinghamshire the youth community radio station has broadcast from the Fringe for the past two years with weekly shows of interviews, news and clips from the Fringe. Last year, as well as broadcasting from Edinburgh and running pre-Fringe previews shows, the station stepped up to run the first Takeover Radio 106.9FM/ISH Joke of the Fringe Award which was won by Jo Caulfield (pictured). 

For the award jokes can be in any format, not just puns or one-liners, and are nominated by members of the ISH judging panel from live comedy shows they see at the festival. With a long list announced in week three for station staff and listeners to judge, the winner will be announced at the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the end of the festival. 

Nick Mellors, a volunteer at the station, said: “We’re delighted to be back in Edinburgh again for the Takeover Radio 106.9/ISH Joke of the Fringe Award, with the winner taking home £500.01 it’s probably the most valuable joke of the festival prize.” 

“As a youth community radio station based in Ashfield in north Nottinghamshire, we’re passionate about showing that people like us, from places like ours, can take part in the world’s greatest arts festival.” 

“By running this award, not only can we recognise the terrific talent at the Fringe, but we can also showcase our community and help people recognise that arts, culture and comedy can be the inspiration for new careers for our young people as well as providing a voice for everyone in communities that are often unheard.”