PERRIER COMEDY AWARD

The 'Perrier Comedy Award' was a prestigious award for comedy, awarded for the best comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe which was sponsored by the Perrier brand of bottled water. In 2006 it was replaced by the If.comeddies.
The prize was initially a week's run at the New End Theatre in Hampstead and a small cheque. Now winners receive £7,500 and a run in London's ''Theatreland''. Since 1992, there has also been a "Best Newcomer" award.
In June 2006 Perrier announced it would no longer sponsor the award [1]. Its replacement, sponsored by Scottish bank Intelligent Finance, was first awarded in August 2006.

Contents

Controversy

Beneficiaries since 1981

See also

External links

Controversy

In 1995 Perrier was bought by Nestle, whose ambivalent relationship with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes led to calls to boycott the awards, which were taken up by some fringe venues and performers on an individual basis. The takeover also led to former winners Emma Thompson and Steve Coogan calling for the awards to be scrapped. In 2001 Rob Newman led a campaign of protest against the award. ^[2]. On his DVD "Stand Up Comedian", Stewart Lee also issued a call for the boycotting of the award based on the practices of Nestle.

Beneficiaries since 1981

★ 1981 - the Cambridge Footlights, being Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tony Slattery, Emma Thompson, Penny Dwyer and Paul Shearer.

★ 1982 - ''Writers Inc''

★ 1983 - ''Los Trios Ringbarkus''

★ 1984 - ''The Brass Band''

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Fascinating Aida

★
★ Hank Wangford Band

★
★ Frank Chickens

★
★ The Bodgers

★
★ The Brass Band

★ 1985 - ''Theatre De Complicité''

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ The Bodgers

★
★ Merry Mac Fun Show

★
★ Paul B Davies

★
★ Sue Ingleton

★ 1986 - Ben Keaton

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Ben Keaton

★
★ Paul B Davies

★
★ Roy Hutchins

★
★ Jenny Lecoat

★
★ Merry Mac Fun Show

★ 1987 - Brown Blues... Arnold Brown with Barb Jungr and Michael Parker

★
★ Nominees

★
★ Nick Revell

★
★ Jeremy Hardy

★
★ Simon Fanshawe

★
★ John Sparkes

★ 1988 - Jeremy Hardy

★
★ Doug Anthony Allstars

★
★ Roy Hutchins

★
★ Robert Llewellyn's ''Mammon''.

★
★ The Wow Show

★ 1989 - Simon Fanshawe

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ John Hegley

★
★ Al and George

★
★ Will Durst

★
★ ''Live Bed Show''

★
★ ''The World Of Les and Robert''

★ 1990 - Sean Hughes

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Dillie Keane - ''Single Again''

★
★ Pete McCarthy - ''The Hangover Show''

★
★ Jimmy Tingle

★ 1991 - Frank Skinner

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Avner The Eccentric

★
★ Jack Dee

★
★ Eddie Izzard

★
★ Lily Savage

★ 1992 - Steve Coogan

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Jo Brand

★
★ Steve Coogan ''In Character With John Thomson''

★
★ Bruce Morton

★
★ John Shuttleworth's ''Guide To Stardom''

★
★ Mark Thomas

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Harry Hill

★ 1993 - Lee Evans

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Corky and the Juice Pigs

★
★ Phil Kay

★
★ Johnny Meres

★
★ Donna McPhail

★
★ Parrot

★
★ Greg Proops

★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★ Dominic Holland

★ 1994 - Lano and Woodley

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Alan Davies

★
★ Jeff Green

★
★ Harry Hill's ''Pub lnternationale''

★
★ Owen O'Neill

★
★ Robert Schimel

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Scott Capurro

★ 1995 - Jenny Eclair - ''Prozac & Tantrums

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Simon Bligh ''Banzai'

★
★ Scott Capurro ''The Love And Affection Tour''

★
★ Boothby Graffoe

★
★ The Umbilical Brothers - ''Heaven By Storm''

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Tim Vine

★ 1996 - Dylan Moran

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller

★
★ Bill Bailey

★
★ Rich Hall

★
★ Dominic Holland

★
★ Al Murray

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Milton Jones

★ 1997 - The League of Gentlemen

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Milton Jones

★
★ Al Murray

★
★ Graham Norton

★
★ ''The Johnny Vegas Show''

★
★
★ Best Newcomer:

★
★
★ Arj Barker

★ 1998 - Tommy Tiernan

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Ed Byrne

★
★ Sean Cullen

★
★ Peter Kay

★
★ Al Murray

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ ''The Mighty Boosh''

★ 1999 - Al Murray - ''The Pub Landlord''

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Terry Alderton

★
★ ''The Arctic Boosh''

★
★ Simon Munnery ''The League Against Tedium''

★
★ Ross Noble

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Ben 'n' Arn

★ 2000 - Rich Hall - ''Otis Lee Crenshaw''

★
★ Nominees

★
★ Dave Gorman - ''Are You Dave Gorman?''

★
★ ''Lee Mack's New Bits'', with Lee Mack, Catherine Tate and Dan Antopolski

★
★ ''Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight'', with Matthew Holness, Richard Ayoade, and Alice Lowe

★
★ Sean Lock

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Noble & Silver

★ 2001 - ''Garth Marenghi's Netherhead'', with Matthew Holness, Richard Ayoade, and Alice Lowe

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Dan Antopolski - ''Antopolski 2000''

★
★ Jason Byrne

★
★ Adam Hills - ''Go You Big Red Fire Engine''

★
★ Daniel Kitson - ''Love, Innocence And The Word Cock''

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Garth Cruickshank & Eddie McCabe ''Let's Have a Right Royal Shambles''
''Note: the 2001 awards were notable for the campaign 'Baby Milk Action' criticising Nestle, owners of the Perrier brand (see above).''
''External link - Guardian critical round-up of the 2001 shortlist.

★ 2002 - Daniel Kitson - ''Something''

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Noel Fielding - ''Voodoo Hedgehog''

★
★ Jimmy Carr - ''Jimmy Carr's Bare Faced Ambition''

★
★ Omid Djalili - ''Behind Enemy Lines''

★
★ Phil Nichol - ''Things I Like, I Lick''

★
★ Adam Hills - ''Happy Feet''

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ ''The Consultants''
''Note: the 2002 awards were criticised for being the second consecutive year in which no female acts were shortlisted.''

★ 2003 - Demetri Martin - ''If I...''

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Reginald D Hunter - ''White Woman''

★
★ Adam Hills - ''Cut Loose''

★
★ ''Flight of the Conchords - ''High On Folk''

★
★ Howard Read and Little Howard - ''The Big Howard and Little Howard Show''

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Gary Le Strange - ''Polaroid Suitcase''

★ 2004 - Will Adamsdale ''Jackson's Way''

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Chris Addison

★
★ ''Epitaph''

★
★ Reginald D Hunter

★
★ Sarah Kendall

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Wil Hodgson

★ 2005 - Laura Solon

★
★ Nominees:

★
★ Chris Addison

★
★ Jason Manford

★
★ Jeremy Lion

★
★ ''Dutch Elm Conservatoire''

★
★
★ Best Newcomer

★
★
★ Tim Minchin

See also

★ the If.comeddies

External links

★ Official site

★ Talents who sparkled in comedy's hall of fame.

★
★ A ''where are they now?'' piece covering previous winners from ''BBC News''.