Chortle's hunt for the best of 2010 is on

Chortle today launches its annual hunt for the best student comedian in Britain.

Our 2010 Student Comedy Award will visit at least 11 universities across mainland Britain – and for the first time this year will include two semi-finals ahead of the big climax at the Edinburgh Fringe.

The winner will receive £1,000 and an invaluable leg-up the comedy ladder. Previous winners include Lloyd Langford, now a stalwart on the comedy circuit and writer on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Tom Deacon, who has just landed his own Radio 1 show.

Last year's winner, Joe Lycett, said: 'Winning the Chortle Student Comedian of the Year 2009 competition was a delightful highlight of my career, providing invaluable exposure to promoters and industry dignitaries, a charming trophy for my mother to force into relative's personal spaces and a handsome cash prize which went a considerable way to fixing my upsetting post-Edinburgh financial situation.'

The competition is open to anyone officially registered as a student in the UK (if there is more than one person in the act, all must qualify) with at least five minutes of original material.

One winner from each of the heats will go through to the semi-finals in Manchester and London, alongside approximately six runners-up, as chosen by the Chortle judges across all the heats. Four acts from each semi-final, plus one ‘people’s choice’ from the remaining semi-finalists, will then go through to the final in Edinburgh. A panel of comedy industry insiders, including agents, bookers and producers, will then choose the winner.

Click here for our Student Comedy Award microsite for full details, including the entry form.

Published: 26 Jan 2010