Daily Telegraph Open Mic award

The award that once billed itself as Britain's largest comedy hunt - attracting around 1,000 entrants a year - ran from 1994 to 2002, until sponsorship ran out.

Heats and semi-finals were held at the Comedy Network, a series of comedy clubs in universities across Britain, with the final held at the Edinburgh Festival each August.

The winner received £2,000 - a booking on the university circuit and appearances at the Montreal and Melbourne comedy festivals. It wass open to anyone over the age of 16 who has never been paid for a comedy performance.

Previous winners and finalists

1996: Frankie Boyle
Finalists: Noel Fielding, Zeron Gibson, Kat Nilsson, Kim Binstead

1997: Paul Foot
Finalists: Simon Evans, Susan Murray, Michael Tombs

1998: Mark Haynes
Finalists: Geoff Whiting, Lee Canterbury, Dougie Dunlop, Hal Cruttenden, Stephen Grant

1999: Danny Bhoy
Finalists: Karen Taylor, Lawry Lewin, Richard Morris, Billy Lewis, Johnny Candon, Belinda Merriman, Adrian Poynton, Lara Silverstone, Alex Zane

2000: Francesca Martinez
Finalists: Justin Moorhouse, Markus Birdman, Steve Day, Jimmy Carr, Mat & Mackinnon, Tom Nicholls, Karl Theobald, Jason John Whitehead, Andy Zaltzman

2001: Karl Minns
Finalists: Rohan Agalawatta, John Bishop, Jarred Christmas, Des Clarke, Richie Devlin, PJ Gallagher, Patrick Monahan, Al Pitcher, Tom Price

2002: Mark Watson
Finalists: Hils Barker, James Bench-Capon, Gary Delaney, Steve Hall, Paul Kerensa, Ria Lina, Matthew Reed, Stan Stanley, Katie Walsh