The Kagools Win Amused Moose Comedy Award 2017

This afternoon, Sunday 20th August 2017, anarchic sketch duo THE KAGOOLS beat over 160 hopefuls to be named the winner of the Amused Moose Comedy Award for their show Tutti (5.15 pm at Just The Tonic, Caves) to everyone's great delight at theSpace @ Symposium Hall at the Edinburgh Fringe.

The 'People's Champion Award', based on audience votes at the final, went to Ian Smith: Snowflake (5.15pmat Underbelly MedQuad) a stalwart of the comedy circuit, who the audience just loved.

The 'Outstanding Fringe Show' went to Rob Kemp as THE DEAD ELVIS (midnight at Heroes @Monkey Barrel), a brilliantly entertaining tribute to gruelling terror and the king of Rock'n'Roll.

The other Amused Moose Comedy Award finalists who also won through to be one of the Top Ten Fringe comedy shows, who all performed ten minute excerpts from their shows at today's final, were:

ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING: The Alasdair Beckett-King Mysteries (Pleasance)
ALISTAIR WILLIAMS: Food (Caves)
BEC HILL: Out Of Order (Gilded Balloon)
CHIS MARTIN: The One And Only Chris Martin (Peartree)
HARRIETT BRAINE: Total Eclipse Of The Art (Golf Tavern)
LAUREN PATTISON: Lady Muck (Pleasance)
MARK SIMMONS: One-Linerer (BadBado)

The final which was of astounding quality, was hosted by Mark Dolan, star of C4's Balls of Steel, with trophies presented by Shona McCarthy, CEO of the Edinburgh Fringe. The overall winner was decided by a 'comedy industry' jury who at the Edinburgh Fringe had watched all the longlisted shows live, which influenced their choice of overall winner as well as the preferences of fellow panellists. All entries had initially been viewed-and-voted-for online by a large international panel to select the longlist.

Winners and some finalists in Amused Moose Comedy Award 2017 and in Amused Moose National New Comic awards 2017 will perform in the Amused Moose Comedy Awards Showcases at the Soho Theatre on Monday 16 October.

This competition, established in 2011, seeks the best of Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows by performers 'on the cusp' of a starry future. Entry to the Amused Moose Comedy Award, the 'senior strand' of the Amused Moose Comedy Awards, is open to all shows listed in the comedy section of the Edinburgh Fringe website (www.edfringe.com) for at least 18 dates, by performers whose live shows have not been previously won or been nominated for another major comedy award.

Information about entering both strands of Amused Moose Comedy Awards in 2018 will appear on www.AmusedMoose.com/Awards early in the new year.