Lastminute.com take over the 'Perrier'

This year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards are to be sponsored by travel website lastminute.com, producer Nica Burns has announced.

The new deal comes after a six-year agreement with Foster’s beer came to an end.

However, there is no other change to the cash prizes – £10,000 for the main award and £5,000 each for the best newcomer and panel prize – nor the way they are judged.

The awards were set up in 1981 and sponsored for 25 years by Perrier, followed by Intelligent Finance for three years, one by Burns herself after failing to secure a sponsor, then Foster’s since 2010.

Burns said she hoped the deal with lastminute.com ‘will Help us to reach the occasional comedy booker and expand comedy audiences in London and across the UK, whether in the grassroots comedy clubs or the larger venues’.

Fabio Cannavale, chief executive of lastminute.com added: ‘We feel very privileged to be able to support, promote and discover the best of British comedy.  Our customers are increasingly interested in experiencing live comedy - by extending our offering we are providing access to the finest comedy talent at the greatest venues all over the UK.’

The shortlist for the lastminute.com Edinburgh Comedy Awards  will be announced on Wednesday August 24 and the winners on Saturday August 27. The panel will be announced shortly.

More than 600 shows are expected to be eligible for this year’s awards.

Published: 1 Jun 2016