Perrier Comedy Award

Perrier Comedy Award
Name	Perrier Comedy Award
Description	Award for the best comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Country	United Kingdom
Presenter	Perrier
Year	1981
Year2	2005

Perrier Comedy Award. It was a prestigious prize presented annually for the best comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, operating from 1981 until 2005. Sponsored by the French mineral water company Perrier, the award was instrumental in launching the careers of numerous major comedic talents. Its influence helped to cement the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's reputation as the world's foremost platform for stand-up comedy and live comedy performance.

History and origins

The award was conceived in 1981 by Alistair Moffat, then director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, and James Montgomery, a producer for Perrier. Its creation was part of a strategic sponsorship deal aimed at increasing the brand's visibility among a young, affluent audience within the vibrant arts scene of the Edinburgh Festival. The inaugural prize was won by the Cambridge Footlights revue, which featured emerging performers like Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, and Tony Slattery. This early success immediately established the award as a significant cultural barometer, closely followed by media outlets like The Guardian and The Scotsman. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, it became a central fixture of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with the announcement ceremony growing into a major event attended by figures from BBC Television and ITV.

Award criteria and selection process

Eligibility was restricted to comedy performances within the official programme of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A panel of judges, typically composed of comedy critics from publications such as The Times and The Independent, producers, and broadcasters from channels like Channel 4, would assess dozens of shows throughout the festival's run. The selection process involved rigorous daily viewings, with judges debating the merits of stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, and character-based acts. The final decision was made by secret ballot, with the winner announced at a high-profile ceremony often held at venues like the Assembly Rooms. The prize package included a substantial cash award and a contract for a professional engagement at the Comedy Store in London.

Notable winners and recipients

The list of winners reads as a who's who of modern British comedy. Early victors included Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in 1981. The late 1980s saw triumphs for acts like Frank Skinner and the musical comedy duo The Brass Band. The 1990s were defined by wins for groundbreaking performers such as Steve Coogan in 1992, Lee Evans in 1993, and Dylan Moran in 1996. The award also propelled the careers of Al Murray's Pub Landlord character in 1999 and the surreal team of The Mighty Boosh in 1998. Notable winners in its final years included The League of Gentlemen in 1997, Rich Hall in 2000, and Laura Solon in 2005, the last ever recipient.

Impact and legacy

The award's impact on the British comedy landscape was profound, serving as a primary talent pipeline for the television and radio industries. Winning or even being nominated often led directly to development deals with BBC Radio 4 and television appearances on programmes like Friday Night Live. It significantly raised the commercial and critical profile of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as an essential destination for comedy scouts. The award's model of corporate sponsorship was later emulated by other brands seeking association with the arts. Its legacy is evident in the continued prominence of its alumni, who dominate comedy on platforms from Live at the Apollo to streaming services, and in the enduring prestige associated with winning a top prize at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Controversies and criticism

The award faced consistent criticism for its perceived commercialism and influence over the Edinburgh Festival Fringe comedy scene. Detractors, including veteran comedians like Jerry Sadowitz, argued that the pursuit of the prize encouraged a homogenized, mainstream-friendly style of comedy at the expense of more experimental or challenging work. There were periodic allegations of judging panel bias, with claims that winners sometimes reflected the tastes of influential media figures from The Observer or Time Out rather than pure comedic merit. The intense pressure and financial burden placed on performers, who often incurred significant losses while staging Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs in hopes of winning, was a frequent point of contention within the comedy community.

Renaming and successor awards

In 2006, following Perrier's withdrawal of sponsorship after a takeover by Nestlé, the award was briefly rebranded as the if.comeddies award under new sponsor Intelligent Finance. This incarnation lasted only two years. In 2009, the prize was revived as the Edinburgh Comedy Awards under the stewardship of promoter Nica Burns and with new sponsorship from Foster's Lager. Now known as the Dave Edinburgh Comedy Awards, the successor prize continues the original's mission of crowning the best show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, maintaining a direct lineage to the foundation laid by the Perrier Comedy Award while navigating the evolving landscape of corporate sponsorship in the arts.

Category:British comedy awards Category:Edinburgh Festival Fringe awards Category:Defunct awards