BBC New Comedy Awards 2026
Deadline: 23:59 on Sunday 5th July 2026
The BBC New Comedy Awards is a nationwide talent search to find the best new comedy talent. Since they first launched in 1995 the prestigious awards have helped launch the careers of many of the UK’s best-loved comedians.
What’s the prize?
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to perform at regional heats across the UK throughout September 2026. One regional winner from each of the heats will be chosen and asked to perform at the BBC New Comedy Awards Final which will be held in mid-October 2026.
The regional heats will be televised on BBC Three and BBC One, and the final will be broadcast on BBC One.
The winner will receive a prize of £1,000 and a paid commission to write and perform in a 30-minute audio pilot mentored by a BBC Comedy Commissioner.
How to enter
You can enter by uploading your video file and filling out the online entry form. Please note that you may only enter once and any subsequent entries will not be considered.
The BBC New Comedy Awards is open to entrants who are aged 18 or over on the opening date of Wednesday 27th May 2026.
You must not have been performing paid comedy gigs before 1st January 2023 – i.e. performances where you were paid cash (unpaid or bucket collection open mic spots before this time are fine).
You must have at least five minutes of un-broadcasted material that is original and self-written; and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The use of generative AI tools to create or develop any part of any entry is not permitted and will lead to disqualification.
Accepted file types: MP4 and M4V, Windows Media Video, QuickTime*, 3GP, AVI, MPEG, Flash Video.
