In a repeat of last year’s result, Nottingham-based Scott Bennett has been named Best Act at Midlands Comedy Awards 2019, with Josh Pugh once again taking the runner-up spot.
However, Josh Pugh did win the Best Live Show award for “Maybe The Real Comedy Awards Are The Friends We Make Along The Way”.
This year’s big surprise came in the Best MC category, where relative newcomers Tommy Tomski and Chris Oxenbury were joint winners, pushing Barry Dodds and James Cook into the runners-up spot. Dodds had comfortably taken the prize for top compere in the previous four years.
The Alternative Act category also had joint winners. Sketch duo Good Kids (Kieran Ahern and Tom Dowling) shared the honours with character comedian Donald Mackerel – perhaps best known for his Mr. Badger and Mr. Penguin onstage personas. Former winner Roger Swift was third.
The Best New Act prize went to Lovell Smith from Birmingham, with Tamworth’s Tal Davies runner-up and Hannah Weetman in third place.
Meanwhile, last year’s Best New Act, Douglas Carter, was given the Rising Star award for 2019, ahead of Celya AB in second place and Mary Flanigan in third.
Finally, Black Country comedian Jack Kirwan won the Online Comedy award. Kirwan is best known for a series of sketches and monologues that have achieved viral success over the last few years. Newcomer Katy Trev, who has been building a following through Instagram, was runner-up.
For the third year in a row Birmingham’s Glee Club won Best Comedy Club, while the Best Small Club gong went to Ofton Funny in Alfreton – which is run by Best MC winner Tommy Tomski. The Best Open Mic Show award went to the recently-established Birmingham gig Useful Idiot.
All finalists and winners were chosen by promoters and performers from the Midlands comedy community. The awards were once again organised by Birmingham-based comic Jay Shareef – who previously performed under the stage name of Jay Islaam.
Shareef commented: “I’d like to congratulate all of the finalists and the winners. This is the sixth time we’ve run these awards, and it’s great to see that the regional comedy community continues to recognise brand new talent every year. In addition to our skilled veterans, a lot of rising stars of the local scene are also starting to make their mark and that’s reflected in the list of nominees.”
Click here for the full list of winners
BEST ACT: SCOTT BENNETT
Second place: Josh Pugh
Third place: Good Kids
BEST MC: CHRIS OXENBURY and TOMMY TOMSKI
Third place: Barry Dodds and James Cook
RISING STAR: DOUG CARTER
Second place: Celya AB
Third place: Mary Flanigan
BEST NEW ACT: LOVELL SMITH
Second place: Tal Davies
Third place: Hannah Weetman
ALTERNATIVE ACT: The Good Kids and Mr. Badger
Third place: Roger Swift
LIVE SHOW: JOSH PUGH
Second place: The Parapod Live and Thomas Green
ONLINE COMEDY: JACK KIRWAN
Second place: Katy Trev
Third place: Josh Pugh
BEST COMEDY CLUB: The Glee Club Birmingham
Second place: NCF comedy
Third place: Funhouse Comedy
BEST SMALL CLUB: OFTON FUNNY
Second place: Cherrybomb Comedy, The Kamikaze Club and The Holly Bush
BEST OPEN MIC SHOW: USEFUL IDIOT
Second place: The Holly Bush
Third place: NCF £1 Night