Victory for Jordan Gray and Milo Edwards

Jordan Gray and Milo Edwards have won this year's Comedy Poster Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Gray won the public-voted award for her poster for Is It  A Bird? which shows er almost naked, leaping over a pile of sound equipment with a well-placed microphone protecting her modesty.

She said of her win: 'Oi, fanks for votin' for me - that's proper nice. I'm well chuffed.
 
'As a transgender woman, at a time that trans people are under attack so often - it's so lovely to know that the walls of Edinburgh city this year are plastered with my tits and penis.'

She also thanked  Dylan Woodley and Jonny Woolley – who helped her design and photograph the poster – and fellow comic Zach Zucker, who produced the show through his Stamptown label.

Organisers said there had been a 'well-orchestrated fan voting campaign' for Kunt and the Gang's poster for Shannon Matthews: The Musical, but not enough to take the crown.

Meanwhile, the judging panel – comprising art director Pete Collins, graphic designer Julia McGill, and Campaign magazine editor Maisie McCabe – selected Milo Edwards: Voicemail as their winner.

They said its concept, inspired by retro phones, was 'particularly well-executed'.

Edwards said: 'The Comedy Poster Award is the big one, it's what everyone comes to the Fringe to win, with a close second being that "Can you hang on this bar for 100 seconds?" thing on Bristo Square. 

'It's wonderful that this reproduction of my face (which I grew myself) has resonated with the judges, but the real credit has to go to my amazing designer Haiminh Le and photographer Victor Patrascan.'

 
The panel's shortlist also included Jordan Gray, Adam Flood: Clayhead, Krystal Evans: Kaleidoscope, Radu Isac: Pandemic and Sara Barron: Hard Feelings.

Winners were revealed tonight at a ceremony hosted by comedian Rich Wilson at the Gilded Balloon's Patter Hoose. It is the sixth time the awards have been handed out. 

Both winner will receive a package of free poster placements around the city at next year's Fringe, courtesy of Edinburgh City Council's advertising partner, Out of Hand.

Comedy producer Gina Lyons, the founder of the awards, said: 'We have two fantastic, very worthy winners for 2022 - both unique pieces of design, with Jordan Gray arising, phoenix-like, much like the resurgent post-covid Fringe itself. This larger-than-life presentation, coupled with striking use of text and colour, have helped draw audiences to her 5-star-rated show.
 
'Milo's poster, meanwhile, is much more muted in style and colour but a wonderful concept executed beautifully.

' What I love most about these awards is the fact they're judged solely on the finished design - the winner isn't decided by how much money they've spent getting their posters on walls around Edinburgh. It's truly fair.'
 
All entries can be browsed at The Comedy Poster Awards' website.

Published: 14 Aug 2022