Edinburgh Comedy Awards
A 26-year-old New Zealander described as “the fizzing charismatic voice of Millennials” was the winner of this year’s Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Rose Matafeo, who was performing at her fourth Fringe, said she had begun doing comedy as a 15-year-old schoolgirl and being named winner at an international event was “surreal”.
She collected her trophy and £10,000 prize money from TV comedian Steve Coogan and last year’s co-winner John Robins at a ceremony at the Dovecot Studios.
“I suffer from being a humble New Zealander”, she said afterwards, adding that her grandparents were from Lesmahagow near Lanark and that she now lives in London.
She is the first person from her country to win what was formerly the Perrier award, and the fifth solo female comedian to win it.
Commenting on the success of female artists, she said: “There are a number of sold out female shows. The quality is insanely high.”
Matafeo’s Horndog show beat off competition from Ahir Shah, Alex Edelman, Felicity Ward, Glenn Moore, Kieran Hodgson and Larry Dean.
Winner of the Best Newcomer and £5,000 prize, was Ciaran Dowd, while the Panel Prize for an act which adds to the spirit of the Fringe, also winning £5,000, went to Angela Barnes, Sameena Zehra, Pauline Eyre and the Home Safe Collective.
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