Edinburgh Comedy Awards: Sam Campbell wins Best Show of the Fringe

This year’s top prize went to an absurdist comic with sharp observations and snappy one-liners

The winners of Dave’s 2022 Edinburgh Comedy Awards have been announced.

In the 40th year of the awards, Australian comic Sam Campbell has been crowned the winner of the biggest prize – Best Comedy Show – for his absurdist work that has drawn praise for its sharp observations and snappy one-liners.

Lara Ricote won Best Newcomer for GRL/LATNX/DEF, while Best in Class – a crowd-funded, profit-sharing initiative that champions working-class comedians from across the UK to access the Fringe – has been awarded the Panel Prize.

In a recent interview with The Independent, hard-of-hearing Latina Ricote said of performing at the Fringe: “I mostly want to feel like I’m proud of myself for doing something that’s out of my comfort zone.

“It’s my first show, so I just want to grow and see the places where I can go. I don’t want to obsess about anything that’s going to be detrimental. Because it’s just the beginning. It’s just starting. It should be clunky and it should be weird. I’m not a genius, I’m just a girl who’s trying to do it.”

This year’s panel of judges, which included The Independent’s Isobel Lewis, saw nearly 600 eligible shows.

The presenters for the ceremony this year were 2019 winner Jordan Brookes and four-time nominee Russell Kane, who won the 30th anniversary award for Best Comedy Show in 2010.

Nica Burns, Director of Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards, said of this year’s awards: “A truly outstanding international year. Sam Campbell, winner of the Best Comedy Show award is original, sometimes surreal, his show is full of jokes and often unexpected. He changes gear throughout and takes his audience on a journey of laughter.

Lara Ricote (Dave)

“Lara’s debut act at the Festival is an absolute delight. She’s completely distinct and very funny. She is a stand-out performer who happens to be hard-of-hearing.”

The prize money for Best Comedy Show is £10,000, with £5,000 each for the Best Newcomer and the Panel Prize winner.