Australia's biggest live comedy accolade

Luisa Omielan and John Kearns have been nominated for the biggest prize in live comedy in Australia.

The British pair are both shortlisted for the Barry Award for the best show at the Melbourne International Comedy festival.

Also nominated was Australian act Steen Raskopolous – who is about to star in the BBC Three comedy Top Coppers alongside Kearns.

The shortlist was completed by absurdist Sam Simmons, political comic Damien Power and veteran stand-up Lawrence Mooney, all from Australia.

Nominated for best newcomer – which is only open to Australian and New Zealand acts – were Barnie Duncan as Juan Vesuvius, who will be returning to Edinburgh this summer with his second solo show, Sam Campbell, Corey White and Heidi O'Loughlin.

Named in honour of Barry Humphries, the award will be handed out on Saturday, the penultimate night of the three-and-a-half week festival.

Kearns was nominated for the Barry last year, for his debut Sight Gags for Perverts, but it was won by Australia's Denise Scott. This year he has been nominated for the follow-up Shtick.

Omielan has been shortlisted for her debut What Would Beyonce Do? The clip of her performance at Melbourne's opening night gala, below, has racked up 9million views on Facebook in under a month.

Published: 14 Apr 2015