Melbourne's own Peter Josip has been crowned the winner of RAW Comedy 2025, Australia's most prestigious open mic competition.
Last night, thirteen of Australia’s most promising amateur comedians battled it out at Melbourne Town Hall in the National Grand Final hosted by Lizzy Hoo. Josip’s five-minute set covering racial identity, martial arts and contemporary political triggers around immigration earned him the coveted title.
The judges faced a difficult decision, with NSW’s Mariah Nickolas and QLD’s Josh Spyro taking runner-up positions in a close race.
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For nearly three decades, RAW Comedy has been the launching pad for some of Australia’s biggest comedy exports. This year’s competition saw almost one thousand hopefuls register for heats across the country, eventually whittled down to the thirteen national finalists: Charlotte Kuruc (ACT), Freddie Arthur (VIC), Jay Kelly (NT), Jazz King (SA), Josh Spyro (QLD), Mariah Nickolas (NSW), Martin Darcey (WA), Michael Cho (NSW), Montana Papadinis (VIC), Nadun Hetti (VIC), Nick Starkey (ACT), Peter Josip (VIC) and Scott Lleonart (TAS).
Josip’s victory comes with serious perks – not only did he score the prestigious RAW Comedy title, but also secured a spot at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to compete in So You Think You’re Funny? alongside top emerging international talent. His prize package also includes a professional photo session with photographer Nick Robertson to kickstart his promotional portfolio.
The competition has an impressive track record for discovering major talent, with alumni including Anne Edmonds, Ronny Chieng, Tom Ballard, Sam Campbell, Sarah Kendall, Georgie Carroll, Celia Pacquola, Josh Thomas, Hannah Gadsby, Aaron Chen, Rhys Nicholson, Becky Lucas and Joel Creasey.
RAW Comedy represents just one part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s commitment to nurturing new talent, alongside other development programs including Class Clowns and Deadly Funny.
For more information about Melbourne International Comedy Festival and to book tickets visit comedyfestival.com.au.
