Two Chortle awards apiece

Daniel Kitson and Dave Gorman were the biggest winners at last night's Chortle awards.

Kitson was named both People's Choice by visitors to the site and Comedian's Comedian, the second time he's won the accolade from his peers.

Meanwhile Gorman won an award for best full-length show, for his Googlewhack Adventure. The tale of his globe-trotting quest in the name of an internet word game also won a new award for innovation.

In other categories, Dara O'Briain was named best headliner for the second year running, Perrier newcomer Gary Le Strange repeated his achievement with a Chortle in the same category and Adam Hills was named best compere.

The Consultants' Justin Edwards was named best character act for his drunk children's entertainer Jeremy Lion, Alex Horne was named breakthrough act and Hannah Chambers of Comedy Café Management, which looks after Kitson, Jimmy Carr and Perrier winner Demetri Martin, won an award for off-stage contribution.

The awards were presented in Ealing Studios at a show brilliantly hosted by Jimmy Carr - who stood in when transport problems prevented Barry Cryer from attending.

In the venues categories, many clubs retained their titles - although the Glee Club in Birmingham and the Comedy Cavern in Bath succeeded for the first time. The winners, as voted by Chortle readers, were:

London (large): Comedy Store, for the second year running. Runner-up: Soho Theatre
London (small): Amused Moose, third year running. Runner-up: Laughing Horse Richmond
North: XS Malarkey, Manchester, third year running. Runner-up: Frog and Bucket, Manchester
South: Komedia, Brighton, third year running. Runner-up: Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
East/Midlands: The Glee Club, Birmingham. Runner-up: Just The Tonic, Nottingham
West/Wales: Comedy Cavern, Bath. Runner-up: The Glee Club, Cardiff
Scotland: The Stand, Edinburgh (won in 2002, too). Runner-up: The Pleasance, Edinburgh

Results in full:

Best newcomer: Waen Shepherd as Gary Le Strange
Nominees: Stuart Hudson, Tom Wrigglesworth

Best compere: Adam Hills
Nominees: Stephen K Amos, Jo Caulfield

Breakthrough act: Alex Horne
Nominees: Lucy Porter, Will Smith

Best headliner: Dara O'Briain
Nominees: Adam Hills, Reginald D Hunter

Best sketch, variety or character act: Justin Edwards as Jeremy Lion
Nominees: Flight Of The Conchords, Oram and Meeten

Award for innovation: Dave Gorman
Nominees: Alfie Joey for his Mini Cabaret, Howard Read

Best full-length solo show: Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure
Nominees: Demetri Martin: If I..., Dara O'Briain: I Am Not An Animal

Best contribution by a non-performer: Hannah Chambers of Comedy Cafe Management.
Nominees: Agraman (The Buzz, Manchester), Simon Randall (Ha Bloody Ha/Headliners, London)

People's choice: Daniel Kitson

Comedians' comedian: Daniel Kitson

The judging panel comprised: Chortle editor Steve Bennett, London Evening Standard comedy critic Bruce Dessau, The Observer's Stephanie Merrit, Marissa Burgess from City Life in Manchester, Mark Tughan from the Glee club in Birmingham and Cardiff, comedy promoter Christian Knowles and So You Think You're Funny organiser Julia Chamberlain.

Published: 24 Feb 2004