Funniest Joke of the Fringe

The Funniest Joke of the Fringe is an award presented each year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by the British television channel Dave. The award highlights the best single joke (typically a one-liner) by a standup comedian and is voted on by members of the public from a shortlist selected by a panel of comedy critics.

Background
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival takes place each year in August. It is the UK's largest arts festival. Each year hundreds of comedians perform across the city, making it one of the largest comedy festivals in the world.

Although the award often generates headlines and draws attention from around the world it has been broadly criticised by comedians and critics as a poor representation of comedy in the UK. Since the award's inception only 2 women have won, and almost every joke that is shortlisted has been a pun. In 2023 winner Lorna Rose Treen stated she had won because her pun was "like a man’s".

Records

 * Masai Graham and Tim Vine are the only acts to win the award more than once, with Masai winning it three times (2016, 2021, 2022), and Tim winning it twice (2010, 2014)
 * Adele Cliff was featured in the top 10 every Fringe from 2016-2021, a record 5 lists in a row
 * Only 2 acts have ever had 2 jokes in the same year's top 10: Gary Delaney in 2010, and Olaf Falafel in 2022
 * The 2021 list was compiled by Will Mars. In lieu of the sponsored list - which was not running that year - he organised the "(Some guy called) Dave Joke of the Fringe 2021". The winner was chosen by a random member of the public called Dave whom Mars found by walking up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.