Festival sold 23,880 tickets

The nominees have been announced for this year’s Leicester Comedy Festival Awards.

They are: 

Best Show

Andrew White: Young, Gay and a Third Thing
Christian Dart: GUMSHOE!
Katie Norris: Farm Fatale
Michael Shafar: Well Worth the Chemo
Ray O'Leary: Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger
Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer

Best New Show

Amy Annette: Work In Progress
Andy Barr The Rising Star's Hotly-Anticipated 4th Debut Hour
Barry Ferns: My 7 Years as Lionel Richie
Bilal Zafar: New Show
Helen Bauer: Work In Progress
Jon Wagstaffe: Look at The Council Estate Of Him

Best Debut Show

Hasan Al-Habib: Death to the West Midlands
Kyrah Gray: Work in Progress
Max Fulham: Work In Progress
Mike Keenan : Impossible Dream
Omar Badawy: Culture Cuck
The Mayor and His Daughter: A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy

Best Variety Show

Improv Comedy from Box of Frogs
Katie Pritchard: I Kiss The Music
Lucy Pearman: Lunartic (WIP)
Pull My Goldfinger
Steffen Haanes and Greg Lass: The Ritual
The Great Divinator: Touched By The Spirits

Best Kids' Show

Benny Shakes: Slugageddon!
Christiaan Hendriksen: Treeeeee
ComedySportz UK
Dr Jones Funny Bones
Mr Sleepybum's Dream Machine
Robin Morgan: Cool Story Bro (A Family-Friendly Comedy Show)

Audience Choice

14/48 Takeover
A Very Serious Detective Play
Accident Avoidance Training for Cutlery Users: Advanced & Improvers
Laura Monmoth: Diary of A Wimpy's Kid
Lucas Jefcoate: Will He Won't He, Can't He Auntie?
Olaf Falafel’s Stupidest Super Stupid Show So Far 

Best Small Venue

Black Horse Laughter Loft 
Duffy’s
Firebug
Phoenix
Real Ale Classroom
The Big Difference

Best Large Venue

Curve Studio
De Montfort Hall
Harborough Market Hall
Just The Tonic at Hansom Hall
Sue Townsend Theatre
The Y Theatre

Best New Venue

Inside No9
Leicester Cathedral
The International
The Old Plough
The Wheatsheaf Inn
Tonne

Best Poster

Graeme Rayner: KrowdWerk
Jake Donaldson: Spectacle
Katie Davison: 60 Minute Millionaire
Keep It Clean: Family Comedy Club
Sikisa: Lady Justice

Liberty Award

BBC Radio Leicester
BID Leicester
The Worst Record Cover of the World Exhibition
Welly’s Work Place & Sunny Skies Community Café

Best Promoter

Den of Laughs
Foxy Comedy
Jokes on Us
Just the Tonic
TripleCeePee

Tracey Miller Community Award

Leicestershire Archeological & Historical Society
Menphys
Pedestrian
Soft Touch Arts
Warning Zone Life Skills Centre
Welly’s Work Place & Sunny Skies Community Café

Student of the Year

Abbie Bishop
Dillan Hawes
Lavinia Durea
Livy Mularczyk
Paige Billings
Zak Hayter

Business Contribution

Arriva
BID Leicester
Everards
Howes Percival LLP
The Rowleys Partnership
Versatile

Contribution to LCF25

Attenborough Arts Centre
Broom Leys Primary School
Cool As Leicester
Juice Creative Design

The awards ceremony will take place on March 31 in Leicester,

At this year’s festival – which sold a record 23,880 tickets over 1,017 performances (an average of about 23.5 per gig) – Will BF won the UK Pun Championships under the name Will B Found; Samantha Day won the Silver Stand Up competition and Louise Atkinson  won the Leicester Comedian of the Yea title. 

Published: 27 Feb 2025