The Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award was a competition for comedians. It ran from 1994 to 2002 when it was discontinued due to sponsorship running out. Despite its short lifespan, its winners and finalists boast some of the UK's most notable comedy talent, including Noel Fielding, Jimmy Carr, Stephen Merchant, Frankie Boyle and Alex Zane. It attracted over 1,000 entrants each year.
Contents |
The competition rewarded each year's winner with a lucrative reward that enabled most of them to emarge as professional stand-up comedians. The prize consisted of:
The competition was open to any performer over the age of 16, who had not performed a paid gig.
The heats and semi-finals were held at comedy clubs located in universities across the UK. The finals were held in Edinburgh during the festival in August.
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002