We’re now nearly half way through the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 and the shortlists for the various awards are starting to be revealed.
The big one is the Edinburgh Comedy Award, which has launched the careers of many now-familiar faces, with the shortlist announced next Wednesday, August 26.
But there are many other smaller awards, including the (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Awards which were established in 2022 and supported by leading entertainment figures including James Corden and Romesh Ranganathan.
Judged by volunteers there are several prizes up for grabs, including £5,000 for Best Show, £4,000 for Best Newcomer, a £5,000 Panel Prize and £1,000 for Best Tech.
And there is also a £1,000.01 prize for Best Joke, going some way to replace the Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award that was ‘rested’ last year and failed to return in 2026.
Here are the 10 nominees.
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1. Chris Turner
My cousin is autistic. When you give him a Rubik's Cube it takes him 12 seconds... to say thank you. | Contributed
2. Kate Butch
I get called a nonce a lot... one of King Arthur's least popular knights. | Contributed
3. Adam Flood
I saw a sign in Gloucestershire which said 'Cheltenham - home of the races.' which is weird because everybody there was white. | Contributed
4. Omar Badawy
Telling muslim parents you're bringing home an Arab Christian is like telling Prince Andrew you're bringing home a 12 year old whisky. | Contributed