Melbourne International Comedy Festival announces nominees for its prestigious 2025 awards with just five days of shows remaining
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has unveiled its much-anticipated award nominees for 2025, celebrating the best comedic talent from this year’s festival.
Nine performers have been shortlisted for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show, with contenders ranging from established stars to rising talents.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival awards
- Melbourne Town Hall
- Saturday, April 19, 2025
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The nominees for Most Outstanding Show include Gary Starr for Classic Penguins, Flo & Joan starring George Fouracres with One Man Musical, and Ahir Shah for Ends. Also making the list are Olga Koch for Olga Koch Comes From Money, Lou Wall for Breaking the Fifth Wall, and Brett Blake with Little Turd. Rounding out the nominees are Greg Larsen for Geggy, Rahul Subramanian with Who Are You, and Scout Boxall for God’s Favourite.
The Best Newcomer award, recognising first-time festival performers, has seven nominees: Anisa Nandaula for You Can’t Say That, Ethan Cavanagh for Bond, Lost My Bond, Jessica Barton for Dirty Work, Kura Forrester for Here if you Need, Meg Jäger for Renaissance Woman, Rapha Manajem for The Salmon Was Good, and Robyn Reynolds for What Doesn’t Kill You.
The Golden Gibbo, an award honouring the late Lynda Gibson and celebrating independent local shows that prioritise artistic vision over commercial success, features six nominees. These include Kate Dolan for The Critic, Andy Balloch for The Wedding, Taylor Griffiths for Sublime Avenue, Conor Lynch for Chimp, Sugar Bits for Feminist Trash, and Charlie Lewin for Frogaccini.
Additional awards to be announced on Saturday include the Directors’ Choice, People’s Choice Award, The Pinder Prize supporting a performer to travel to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Piece of Wood comics’ choice award for “doin’ good stuff ‘n’ that.”
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival runs until April 20, giving comedy fans just five days to catch the nominated shows before the festival wraps up.
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