Verona Verbakel Wins 2026 Filipa Bragança Award at Edinburgh Fringe
The Gilded Balloon honor recognizes solo performances by emerging female, female-identifying and non-binary actors.
Gilded Balloon has announced Verona Verbakel as the winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award for her outstanding solo performance in Only Fans for Therapy at Zoo Playground.
The Filipa Bragança Award recognises an exceptional lead solo performance by an emerging female, female-identifying or non-binary actor in a theatre production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Established in 2017 in memory of the gifted actor Filipa Bragança, the award celebrates the extraordinary talent of performers working at the Fringe and honours Filipa's own remarkable contribution to the festival.
Filipa delivered defining performances in critically acclaimed Gilded Balloon productions including Echoes and Angel before her untimely death in 2016, aged just 25.
Uniquely, the award considers eligible solo performances from across the entire Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with judges independently scouting work across venues throughout August.
Following weeks of intensive viewing by the judging panel, this year's shortlist reflected an exceptionally strong field of solo theatre. Judges highlighted the outstanding standard of writing, characterisation and performance across this year's Fringe, with Verona Verbakel ultimately standing out for the depth, originality and sheer commitment of her performance in Only Fans for Therapy.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said, "Filipa was an extraordinary young actor whose talent, generosity and presence made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of seeing her work. It is incredibly important to us that this award continues to celebrate the kind of bold, brilliant and distinctive solo performance that Filipa herself represented. Verona's performance this year was completely compelling ,she commands the stage with remarkable skill and vulnerability, and we are thrilled to recognise her with the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award. Every year, the standard of work considered for the Filipa Bragança Award makes the judging incredibly difficult, and this year was no exception. We saw an extraordinary range of solo performances from artists working across the Fringe, but Verona's work stayed with us. Only Fans for Therapy is fearless, uncomfortable and deeply human, and Verona gives an extraordinary performance at its centre. We are delighted to celebrate her achievement and to continue Filipa's legacy through an award that champions emerging performers and the power of solo storytelling."
The winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award was presented at The Scotsman Awards.
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