In a repeat of last year’s result, Nottingham-based Scott Bennett (pictured) has been named Best Act at Midlands Comedy Awards 2019, with Josh Pugh once again taking the runner-up spot.

However, Josh Pugh did win the Best Live Show award for “Maybe The Real Comedy Awards Are The Friends We Make Along The Way”.

This year’s big surprise came in the Best MC category, where relative newcomers Tommy Tomski and Chris Oxenbury were joint winners, pushing Barry Dodds and James Cook into the runners-up spot. Dodds had comfortably taken the prize for top compere in the previous four years.

The Alternative Act category also had joint winners. Sketch duo Good Kids (Kieran Ahern and Tom Dowling) shared the honours with character comedian Donald Mackerel – perhaps best known for his Mr. Badger and Mr. Penguin onstage personas. Former winner Roger Swift was third. 

The Best New Act prize went to Lovell Smith from Birmingham, with Tamworth’s Tal Davies runner-up and Hannah Weetman in third place.

Meanwhile, last year’s Best New Act, Douglas Carter, was given the Rising Star award for 2019, ahead of Celya AB in second place and Mary Flanigan in third. 

Finally, Black Country comedian Jack Kirwan won the Online Comedy award. Kirwan is best known for a series of sketches and monologues that have achieved viral success over the last few years. Newcomer Katy Trev, who has been building a following through Instagram, was runner-up. 

For the third year in a row Birmingham’s Glee Club won Best Comedy Club, while the Best Small Club gong went to Ofton Funny in Alfreton – which is run by Best MC winner Tommy Tomski. The Best Open Mic Show award went to the recently-established Birmingham gig Useful Idiot. 

All finalists and winners were chosen by promoters and performers from the Midlands comedy community. The awards were once again organised by Birmingham-based comic Jay Shareef – who previously performed under the stage name of Jay Islaam.

Shareef commented: “I’d like to congratulate all of the finalists and the winners. This is the sixth time we’ve run these awards, and it’s great to see that the regional comedy community continues to recognise brand new talent every year. In addition to our skilled veterans, a lot of rising stars of the local scene are also starting to make their mark and that’s reflected in the list of nominees.”

MIDLANDS COMEDY AWARDS 2019 FULL RESULTS

BEST ACT: SCOTT BENNETT

Second place: Josh Pugh

Third place: Good Kids

BEST MC: CHRIS OXENBURY and TOMMY TOMSKI

Third place: Barry Dodds and James Cook

RISING STAR: DOUG CARTER

Second place: Celya AB

Third place: Mary Flanigan

BEST NEW ACT: LOVELL SMITH

Second place: Tal Davies

Third place: Hannah Weetman

ALTERNATIVE ACT: The Good Kids and Mr. Badger

Third place: Roger Swift

LIVE SHOW: JOSH PUGH

Second place: The Parapod Live and Thomas Green

ONLINE COMEDY: JACK KIRWAN

Second place: Katy Trev

Third place: Josh Pugh

BEST COMEDY CLUB: The Glee Club Birmingham

Second place: NCF comedy

Third place: Funhouse Comedy

BEST SMALL CLUB: OFTON FUNNY

Second place: Cherrybomb Comedy, The Kamikaze Club and The Holly Bush

BEST OPEN MIC SHOW: USEFUL IDIOT

Second place: The Holly Bush

Third place: NCF £1 Night