Heats to be broadcast

BBC Radio’s annual New Comedy Award is to be launched on Steve Wright’s Radio 2 show today.

The presenter will be joined by last year’s winner, Lucy Beaumont, sometime between 3pm and 4pm, to talk about how the victory changed her career.

This year, each of the eight regional heats will be broadcast on Radio 4 Extra, while Radio 2 will air the semi-finals and final. Clips of the winners of each heat will also be played on Steve Wright’s show on Radio 2 each Friday.

The winner receives £1,000 prize money and a commission from BBC Radio. Previous finalists include Alan Carr, Peter Kay, Sarah Millican and Russell Howard.

Entries are open now here and close on June 28.

Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan said: ‘Radio 2 has a strong and lengthy tradition of championing emerging talent.  The BBC Radio New Comedy Award is a terrific opportunity for budding comics to break through and we are glad to have BBC Radio 4 Extra on board to bring this fantastic talent to new audiences.’

Patrick Kielty, who presents the awards, said: ‘I can’t wait to be back on the stage introducing the people who tomorrow will be stealing my job.’

Judges for each heat will be BBC executive producer Alison Vernon Smith, Chortle editor Steve Bennett, plus a guest judge – but the final – on December 9 at the London Comedy Store – is decided by Radio 2 voters.

Theheats will be held in Edinburgh (Aug 20, 21), Manchester Comedy Store (Sept 3,4); Cardiff Glee (Sept 10,11) and London’s Up The Creek (Sept 17,18)

Here is Beaumont talking about the competition:

Published: 23 May 2013