Hannah Gadsby Just Took Home One Of The Biggest Awards In Comedy
Australian audiences will get another chance to see the show later in the year.
Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby is going out on top, with the retiring standup named joint winner of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Gadsby – who has announced she plans to step away from comedy at the end of the year – took home the gong for her critically acclaimed show Nanette, a raw, candid and deeply personal piece about homophobia, sexual violence and mental illness. Gadsby previously performed the show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where it won the festival’s highest accolade, the Barry Award.
Gadsby shared the award in Edinburgh with British stand-up John Robins, marking the first time in the festival’s 70 year history that the award has been split between two acts. Both comedians received £10,000 ($16,300) in prize money, with awards director Nica Burns remarking that it had been “an expensive year”.
“Both shows, which could not be more different, were hotly debated and fiercely fought for,” said Burns. “Comedy has many possibilities and audiences [have] very different funny bones. These two incredibly talented winners make you laugh and touch your heart.”
Fuck yeah, go @Hannahgadsby! This superstar deserves a bloody homecoming parade. ? https://t.co/6sEJZPw0PS
— Benjamin Law (@mrbenjaminlaw) August 26, 2017
In addition to the historic tie, this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards also featured more female nominees than ever before. Four out of nine contenders were women, with Gadsby beating out Elf Lyons, Mae Martin and Sophie Willan.
Australian audiences will get one more chance to see Nanette late, with Gadsby set to perform the show on select dates in Sydney and Melbourne later in the year. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.