Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Award

The Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Award is a grant issued to Australian comedians wishing to premiere new works as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It is named after Brian McCarthy, a young comedian and comedy producer killed in a car accident in 1987.[1]

Each year benefit performances are held in Melbourne (as part of the Comedy Festival[2]) and Sydney, and the money raised is used to produce new shows by successful applicants, who are thus free to try out a new and exciting idea without worrying whether it will be "commercially viable". The Award is substantial, but rather than providing funds directly, the Moosehead association produces the show, organising everything from Festival registration to venue and equipment hire and marketing. It also provides access to professional photographers, publicists, directors and other resources typically too expensive for comedians.

The award is known as the "Moosehead" award as Moosehead beer was Brian McCarthy's favorite. His favorite song, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, is traditionally performed by the closing act of every Moosehead Award benefit show.

In recent years the Award has also received sponsorship from The Comedy Channel.[1]

List of Award recipients

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "The Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Awards". Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  2. ↑ "The 24th Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Awards Benefit". Archived from the original on 2010-03-02. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
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