BBC New Comedy Awards extends deadline

As locations of the six heats are revealed

The deadline has been extended for the BBC New Comedy Awards as the locations for the six heats have been confirmed.

Aspiring comics now have until August 22 to enter, either the main adult stand-up category or the new awards of 15- to 17- year-olds and for digital creators.

The six heats, which will air on BBC Three, will be held in Croydon, Wolverhampton, Halifax, Swansea, Dundee and Portrush,

Head judge Mawaan Rizwan, pictured, the BBC’s newly-appointed young person’s comedy laureate will be joined by judges including Dane Baptiste, Thanyia Moore, Josh Jones, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Helen Bauer, Stephen Buchanan, Darren Harriott, Larry Dean, Shane Todd and Fern Brady.

The location of the final, which will be broadcast on BBC One, has not yet been revealed.

As previously announced, the main prize for the over-18s category is £1,000 and a paid commission to write and perform in a 30-minute audio pilot, mentored by a BBC comedy commissioner.

The young comic winner gets £500 and help securing their first three paid gigs, while the digital prize is a paid commission for a comedy short.

Comedians who took part in the awards early in their career include Peter Kay, Joe Lycett, Lee Mack, Julian Barratt, Josie Long, Shappi Khorsandi, Romesh Ranganathan, Alan Carr, Russell Howard, Nina Conti, Lost Voice Guy, Tom Allen, Lauren Pattison and Sarah Millican.