Organizers have confirmed that the Edinburgh Fringe’s annual award for the funniest joke will not be presented at this year’s comedy festival.
The award, established in 2008 and known for generating humorous headlines, is typically presented by the television channel U&Dave (formerly Dave), a subsidiary of UKTV.
In a statement, UKTV executives announced a pause, citing an “evolving commissioning focus” and a desire to “reflect on how we continue to support comedy in the best way possible.”
The statement added, “While we’re resting the award this year, we remain committed to championing great comedy across U&Dave and beyond, and we’ll always look for ways to bring laughter to audiences in exciting ways.”
Last year’s winner was a witty pun about a sailing trip, recognized as the funniest joke at the event.
The prize has faced criticism for its perceived bias towards one-liners, while others have lauded its ability to spotlight emerging comedic talent.
UKTV emphasized that the award was “originally created to celebrate and spotlight grassroots comedy talent.”
The separate and highly regarded Edinburgh Comedy Award recognizes overall performance and routine excellence each year.
Aside from disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, the funniest joke award has been a consistent feature of the festival for nearly two decades.
Jokes are typically selected by a panel of comedians and critics before being submitted anonymously to 2,000 members of the public for a collective vote.
Here is a selection of winners from recent years that you can pass off as your own in the pub later on:
Following the announcement, production company Need to Know Comedy declared the revival of its (Some Guy Called) Dave award, inviting festival performers to submit one-liners from their shows for a chance to win a cash prize.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commencing on Friday, August 1, will feature performances from Miriam Margoyles, Jenny Eclair, Bill Bailey, and others across more than 3,000 shows.
Members of a Borders-based stage school are walking to Edinburgh to help cover the cost of their show.
Comedy, music, magic and cabaret will all be part of the arts festival, which runs from August 1 to 25.
Writer and director Lucy Singer from Sheffield says it is a “very exciting” opportunity.
The festival is being held at three small venues in Wolverhampton from 25 to 27 July.
Michelle Collins is making her Edinburgh debut as the Fringe looks to the future with a new leader.