Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2018: Felicity Ward and Kieran Hodgson amongst the shortlist

The shortlist for this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards has been announced, with seven acts in the running for the £10,000 prize.

Ahir Shah, Alex Edelman, Felicity Ward , Glenn Moore, Kieran Hodgson, Larry Dean and Rose Matafeo are nominated for the Best Comedy Show.

Last year’s award was shared by Jon Robins and Hannah Gadsby, with Gadsby’s show Nanette going on to tour internationally and be filmed for a critically acclaimed Netflix special.

This year’s Best Newcomer nominees are Ciaran Dowd, Maisie Adam, Olga Koch , Sara Barron, Sarah Keyworth and Sindhu Vee. Last year the award went to Natalie Palamides.

Nica Burns, director of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, described the shortlist for both awards as “truly international”.

“Between them, they cover every aspect of contemporary life from why Britain voted to stay in the EU in 1975 to family, personal relationships, love, sex in your 20s, gender and sexual identity, living with your in-laws and being the only Jew at a meeting of the far right.”

The winner of Best Comedy Show will receive £10,000, with £5,000 going to the Best Newcomer and the winner of the Panel Prize award.

The winners will be announced on August 25.