Chortle award shortlist announced

Dara O'Briain, Dave Gorman and Adam Hills head this year's Chortle award shortlist, with two nominations each.

Both O'Briain and Gorman are in the running for the award for best solo show, against Perrier-winner Demetri Martin's If I...

O'Briain has also been nominated for best headliner ­ the award he won last year - alongside Hills and Reginald D Hunter, while Gorman is also up for the new innovation award for his Googlewhack Adventure.

Others in the running for that category are Alfie Joey for his Mini Cabaret ­ the Edinburgh show he performed in his car ­ and Howard Reed for fusing stand-up and animation through his character Little Howard.

Hills has also won a nomination for best headliner

The awards will be handed out at the historic Ealing Studios in London next Monday, night, at a ceremony hosted by Barry Cryer.

Most of the awards are decided by a panel of industry figures, including promoters and critics, but others are chose by Chortle readers.

In this poll, Reginald D Hunter, Peter Kay, Daniel Kitson, Ross Noble, Al Murray and Dave Spikey are all frontrunners.

And on Tuesday next week, Chortle will announce the winner of the Student Comedy Awards title following a final at Warwick University, Coventry.

The full list of nominees for the main awards is:

BEST NEWCOMER
Stuart Hudson
Waen Shepherd as Gary Le Strange
Tom Wrigglesworth

BEST COMPERE
Stephen K Amos
Jo Caulfield
Adam Hills

BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Alex Horne
Lucy Porter
Will Smith

BEST HEADLINER
Adam Hills
Reginald D Hunter
Dara O'Brian

BEST SKETCH, VARIETY OR CHARACTER ACT
Flight Of The Conchords
Justin Edwards as Jeremy Lion
Oram and Meeten

BEST FULL-LENGTH SHOW
Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure
Demetri Martin: If I...
Dara O'Briain: I Am Not An Animal

AWARD FOR INNOVATION
Dave Gorman
Alfie Joey for his Mini Cabaret
Howard Read

BEST OFF-STAGE CONTRIBUTION
Agraman (The Buzz, Manchester)
Hannah Chambers (Comedy Cafe Management)
Simon Randall (Ha Bloody Ha/Headliners, London)

Published: 16 Feb 2004