Midlands Comedy Awards

The Midlands Comedy Awards are an annual awards ceremony for live comedy performers and comedy clubs based in The Midlands region of England. It also recognises achievement in online comedy. They were founded in 2014 and give out awards in eleven categories every year.

History
The Midlands Comedy Awards were created by Birmingham-based comedian Jay Shareef in 2014, "to recognise the huge number of hard working and talented people in [the] regional comedy community".

Rules and eligibility
The finalists for the awards are chosen by comedy clubs and media professionals from the Midlands region, and only comedians and comedy clubs based in either the East Midlands or West Midlands qualify. This means that comedians resident in The Midlands are eligible even if they are originally from elsewhere. The awards include the following counties in their definition of the Midlands region: Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.

Before Brexit, the awards accepted the definition of East Midlands and West Midlands as the areas represented in the European Parliament by those constituencies.

2021
Best Act Best MC Breakthrough Act Best New Act Alternative Act Best Live Show Online Comedy Best Comedy Club Best Small Club Best Open Mic Show Outstanding Contribution
 * Winner – Scott Bennett
 * Runner up – Stevie Gray
 * Third place – Josh Pugh
 * Winner – Jon Pearson
 * Runner up – Barry Dodds
 * Third place – Tommy Tomski
 * Winner – Tal Davies
 * Runner up – Eric Rushton
 * Third place – Kevin Daniel
 * Winner – Ricky Balshaw
 * Runner up – Josh Reynolds
 * Third place – Leanne Easthope
 * Winner – Good Kids
 * Runner up – The Boys From The All Night Chemist
 * Third place – Richard Dadd
 * Winner – Scott Bennett - Relax
 * Runner up – Jon Pearson - What Have You Been Up To?
 * Third place – Richard Dadd - Tea With The Devil
 * Winner – Jack Kirwan
 * Runner up – Scott Bennett
 * Third place – Mary Flanigan
 * Winner – Hollywood Comedy Club
 * Runner up – The Glee Club
 * Third place – Funhouse Comedy
 * Winner – NCF
 * Runner up – The Holly Bush
 * Third place – RockCentral
 * Winner – The Holly Bush
 * Runner up – Canal House (NCF)
 * Third place – Kamikaze Club
 * Geoff Rowe (Leicester Comedy Festival)

2020
The awards did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019
Best Act Best MC Rising Star Best New Act Alternative Act Best Live Show Online Comedy Best Comedy Club Best Small Club Best Open Mic Show
 * Winner – Scott Bennett
 * Runner up – Josh Pugh
 * Winners (joint) – Chris Oxenbury and Tommy Tomski
 * Third Place (joint) – Barry Dodds and James Cook
 * Winner – Douglas Carter
 * Runner up – Celya AB
 * Winner – Lovell Smith
 * Runner up – Tal Davies
 * Winners (joint) – Good Kids and Donald Mackerel
 * Third Place – Roger Swift
 * Winner – Josh Pugh
 * Runners up (joint) – Parapod Live and Thomas Green
 * Winner – Jack Kirwan
 * Runner up – Katy Trev
 * Winner – The Glee Club
 * Runner up – NCF
 * Winner – Ofton Funny
 * Runners up (joint) – Cherrybomb Comedy, The Kamikaze Club and The Holly Bush
 * Winner – Useful Idiot
 * Runner up – NCF £1 Night

2018
Best Act Best MC Best New Act Best Live Show Best Comedy Club Best Small Club
 * Winner – Scott Bennett
 * Runner up – Josh Pugh
 * Winner – Barry Dodds
 * Runner up – Jason Neale
 * Winner – Douglas Carter
 * Runner up – Donald Mackerel
 * Winner – Scott Bennett: Leap Year
 * Runner up – Laura Monmoth: LGBTQZX
 * Winner – The Glee Club
 * Runner up – Funhouse Comedy
 * Winner – NCF
 * Runner up – The Holly Bush

2017
Best Act Best MC Breakthrough Act Best New Act Best Alternative Act Best Live Show Online Comedy Best Comedy Club Best Small Club Best Open Mic Show Outstanding Contribution
 * Winner – Joe Lycett
 * Runner up – Luisa Omielan
 * Third place – Rob Kemp
 * Winner – Barry Dodds
 * Runner up – Gareth Berliner
 * Third place – Stevie Gray
 * Winner – Rob Kemp
 * Runner up – Pete Teckman
 * Third place – Jack Kirwan and Sarah Johnson (joint)
 * Winner – Jem Braithwaite
 * Runner up – Gina Overton
 * Third place – Count Evil
 * Winner – Rob Kemp
 * Runner up – Jack Kirwan
 * Third place – Andrew McBurney
 * Winner – Rob Kemp
 * Runner up – Josh Pugh
 * Third place – Phil Pagett
 * Winner – Jack Kirwan
 * Runner up – Masai Graham
 * Third place – Craig Deeley
 * Winner – The Glee Club
 * Runner up – Funhouse Comedy
 * Third place – Laff Attack
 * Winner – Funhouse Comedy
 * Runner up – FAF Comedy
 * Third place – CAN Comedy and Blue Giraffe (joint)
 * Winner – The Holly Bush (Cradley Heath)
 * Runner up – Comedy and Cocktails (Leicester)
 * Third place – NCF £1 Comedy Night (Nottingham)
 * Winner – Spiky Mike (Funhouse Comedy)

2016
Best Act Best MC Best Live Show Breakthrough Act Best New Act Alternative Act Online Comedy Best Comedy Club Best Small Club Best Open Mic Show Outstanding Contribution
 * Winner – Duncan Oakley
 * Runner up – Masai Graham
 * Third place – Scott Bennett
 * Winner – Barry Dodds
 * Runner up – Gareth Berliner
 * Third place – Jon Pearson and Wayne Beese (joint)
 * Winner – Late Night with Boabby Roaster
 * Runner up – I Came, I Saw, I Complained
 * Third place – Hell To Play
 * Winner – Masai Graham
 * Runner up – Alex Hylton
 * Third place – Josh Pugh
 * Winner – Moses Ali Khan
 * Runner up – Sarah Johnson
 * Third place – Harvey Hawkins
 * Winner – Paul Palmer
 * Runner up – Andrew McBurney
 * Third place – Daniel Nicholas
 * Winner – The Parapod
 * Runner up – Jack Kirwan
 * Third place – Masai Graham
 * Winner – Funhouse Comedy
 * Runner up – The Glee Club
 * Third place – Fitz of Laughter
 * Winner – FAF Comedy
 * Runner up – Blue Giraffe Comedy
 * Third place – Fitz of Laughter
 * Winner – NCF Canal House
 * Runner up – The Holly Bush
 * Third place – Roadhouse Comedy
 * Winner – Bushfest

2015
Best Act Best MC Best Live Show Breakthrough Act Best New Act Alternative Act Online Comedy Best Comedy Club Best Small Club Best Open Mic Show Outstanding Contribution
 * Winner – Tom Binns
 * Runner up – Barbara Nice
 * Third place – Andy White
 * Winner – Barry Dodds
 * Runner up – Andy Robinson
 * Third place – Jason Neale
 * Winner – Scott Bennett
 * Runner up – Masai Graham
 * Third place – Jon Pearson
 * Winner – Lucy Thompson
 * Runner up – Masai Graham
 * Third place – Patrick Draper
 * Winner – Josh Pugh
 * Runner up – Stu Woodings
 * Third place – Thomas Rackham
 * Winner – Roger Swift
 * Runner up – Johnny Sorrow
 * Third place – Daniel Nicholas
 * Winner – Masai Graham
 * Runner up – Club Smashing
 * Third place – Mike O'Callaghan
 * Winner – Voodoo Stands Up (Stamford)
 * Runner up – CAN Comedy (Black Country)
 * Winner – Funhouse Comedy
 * Runner up – FAF Comedy
 * Winner – The Holly Bush (Cradley Heath)
 * Runner up – Roadhouse Comedy (Birmingham)
 * Third place – NCF Canal House (Nottingham)
 * Winner – Suzanne Rowland

2014
Best Act Best Compere Breakthrough Act Best New Act Best Comedy Club Best Open Mic Show Outstanding Contribution
 * Winner – Andy Robinson
 * Runner up – Masai Graham
 * Winner – Andy Robinson
 * Runner up – Dave Dinsdale
 * Winner – Hannah Silvester
 * Runner up – Daniel Nicholas
 * Winner – Tom Christian and Josh Pugh (joint winners)
 * Runner up – Lucy Thompson
 * Winner – The Glee Club
 * Runner up – CAN Comedy
 * Winner – Fowl Humour
 * Runner up – The Holly Bush
 * Winner – Roger Swift