Edinburgh festival comedy awards winners announced — and where you can see them next

The end of August means another Edinburgh festival has come to an end, and this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards winners have now been announced.

Edinburgh festival’s best show of the year goes to Chris Cantrill’s Rewilding, which was on at the Monkey Barrel.

It’s a show about Cantrill’s move to rural Northumberland, although it’s actually his second show about that move. This year’s set is a take on the furore surrounding the Sycamore Gap tree, which was cut down by vandals in 2023.

The best newcomer award went to Marty Gleeson for Dog Ear, a more off-kilter set that blends the surreal and features a bodhrán, a traditional Irish drum. It is inspired by her days at art school, in Limerick.

Both shows received quite a mix of scores from the critics, showing you never can tell what’s going to break through in the early days of the festival.

There was also an Audible Panel prize, given to the show that is seen to best represent the spirit of the festival itself. It went to One Joke, which brought together 60 comedians, who each told one joke before leaving the stage — surely a logistical nightmare.

Cantrill receives £10,000 in prize money for this efforts, which should cover at least a few days of his Edinburgh accommodation, while the other two winners receive £5000 each.

The next question: when are the winners coming to London to perform?

Cantrill is actually busy with other work right now. “I have one day off and then I’m in London for SNL. I asked whether I could come in on Tuesday and they said no,” Cantrill told The Standard.

Cantrill is part of the writing team for the UK version of Saturday Night Live, which has its second season debut on 12th September.

This does mean Cantrill may end up doing some sets around the capital in the coming weeks, although he likely needs a break after his Edinburgh run.

Marty Gleeson can be seen at the End of the Road festival, which begins on 3rd September. In recent months she has performed at the Camden Comedy Club and Park Theatre, so keep an eye on listings for future gigs.

Other shortlist nominees for the best show award for Edinburgh festival 2026 included Dan TIernan’s Quarts and All, Harriet Dyer’s Easily Distra…, Lara Ricote’s Inkling, Li Jin Hao’s Falling From a Moon and Spencer Jones’s Dogs.

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