Words from the producer
NCA Team
The New Comedy Award 2014 kicks off on BBC Radio 4 Extra every Friday night at 10.30pm from 12th September - here's producer Adnan Ahmed on the awards so far:
The heats as broadcast on Radio 4 Extra are the next stage of a nationwide search for the best new stand up talent.
Previous winners and finalists of the prestigious award include Alan Carr, Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Julian Barratt, Marcus Brigstocke, Russell Howard, Rhod Gilbert, David O’Doherty and Shappi Khorsandi.
The process started in May when the call was placed on the air for comedians to send in five mins clips of their best material - from clips recorded professionally to acts in their bedrooms talking into their phones, comedians from right across the UK have entered.
Steve Bugeja shows us what life is like after the award and how everybody knows his name.
Scouts from the New Comedy Award also scoured comedy clubs and festivals to spot the best new acts and encourage them to enter.
We received over 750 entries which has now been whittled down to just 80 for the heats. All entries were catalogued andever single entry received two listens by a writer or performer who judged them on originality, writing and most of all if they made them laugh!
After this painstaking process, we now have these finished shows from Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and London. Over the next eight weeks you’ll be able to join us as we highlight some really exciting new talent. We’re joined by guest judges such as Jason Byrne, Alun Cochrane, Stephen K.Amos and Shappi Korshandi.
Tune in every Friday and soon you’ll be able to say you heard them here first!
