The winners of The National Comedy Awards were revealed last night (Friday 17th February), live on Channel 4, in a star-studded ceremony hosted by Tom Allen.
Trophies were handed out by stars of comedy and entertainment including Grayson Perry, Smack the Pony stars Fiona Allen and Doon Mackichan, Katherine Ryan and Munya Chawawa, Bill Bailey, Jack Dee and Amelia Dimoldenberg and Self Esteem.
The awards honoured both emerging and established British comedy talent, with the public having voted on key prizes in a variety of categories that celebrate the world of comedy in all its forms. Recent scripted and unscripted comedies and panel shows, plus the latest podcast jokers were all vying for votes.
After Life took home a hattrick of awards, winning Best Scripted Comedy, Outstanding Comedy Actor for Ricky Gervais and Outstanding Supporting Role for Diane Morgan.
Chris and Rosie Ramsay’s Shagged Married Annoyed won Best Comedy Podcast for the second consecutive year. Also for the second time, Katherine Ryan received the Outstanding Female Comedy Entertainment Performance and Taskmaster won Best Comedy Entertainment Show.
In the wake of the final series of Derry Girls, Saoirse Monica Jackson received the award for Best Comedy Actress and elsewhere Lee Mack was named Outstanding Male Comedy Entertainment Performer.
Following a live fan vote during the ceremony, Joe Lycett won the Best Stand-Up Show Award for his show, Joe Lycett: More, More, More! How Do You Joe Lycett? How Do You Joe Lycett?
Joe Lycett was also awarded the Comedy Game Changer Award, receiving a standing ovation as he took to the stage to accept the gong from Sir Grayson Perry. In his tongue-in-cheek acceptance speech, Joe paid tribute to Liz Truss, Nadine Dorries and Hugo Boss, amongst others.
“I’ve written some names of people I should thank… Liz Truss, couldn’t do it without you, girl. Hugo Boss, I’d like to thank Hugo Boss for designing those lovely Nazi uniforms and then to the company Hugo Boss for their unending appetite to protect their intellectual copyright. To everyone on Twitter with a football logo as their profile picture for keeping me grounded. To Nadine Dorries for everything she’s done for culture.
“To the BBC chairman Richard Sharp for that loan you gave me, thank you Richard. I was struggling when I started out and he kept me afloat. I’d like to dedicate this award to the Channel 4 lawyers who protected me throughout my career from myself. And with that in mind, I’d like to say Richard Sharp should stand down as the BBC chairman and that’s not my opinion but the opinion of Channel 4 television. Thank you so much.”
The National Comedy Awards for Stand Up To Cancer also saw video messages from Sir Eric Idle and Rhod Gilbert, who both spoke about their experiences of cancer.
The National Comedy Awards winners and nominees 2023:
Outstanding Female Comedy Entertainment Performer
Fern Brady (Taskmaster)
Sandi Toksvig (QI)
Judi Love (Taskmaster)
Katherine Ryan (Backstage with Katherine Ryan) – WINNER
Sarah Millican (Taskmaster)
Best Comedy Podcast
Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
Shagged, Married, Annoyed with Chris and Rosie Ramsey – WINNER
Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
Have A Word
Outstanding Male Comedy Entertainment Performer
Greg Davies (Taskmaster)
Joe Lycett (Joe Lycett’s Big Pride Party)
Munya Chawawa (Taskmaster)
Lee Mack (Would I Lie to You?) – WINNER
Alex Horne (Taskmaster)
Outstanding Comedy Actress
Rose Matafeo (Starstruck)
Saoirse Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) – WINNER
Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters)
Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts)
Daisy May Cooper (Am I Being Unreasonable?)
Best Comedy Entertainment Show
The Graham Norton Show
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Taskmaster – WINNER
The Chris and Rosie Ramsey Show
Outstanding Comedy Actor
Dylan Llewellyn (Big Boys)
Ricky Gervais (After Life) – WINNER
Joseph Gilgun (Brassic)
Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts)
Stephen Merchant (Outlaws)
Best Comedy Panel Show
Mock the Week
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown – WINNER
QI
Would I Lie to You?
Best Stand-Up Show
Sam Campbell: Comedy Show
Tim Key: Mulberry
Amy Gledhill: The Girl Before The Girl You Marry
Joe Lycett: More, More, More! How Do You Joe Lycett? How Do You Joe Lycett? – WINNER
Jordan Gray: Is It A Bird?
Outstanding Supporting Role
Jamie Lee O’Donnell (Derry Girls)
David Earl (After Life)
Lolly Adefope (Ghosts)
Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls)
Diane Morgan (After Life) – WINNER
Best Scripted Comedy
Ghosts
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
Derry Girls
After Life – WINNER
Comedy Game Changer Award
Joe Lycett
Impact in Comedy Award
Mo Gilligan
Comedy Breakthrough Star Awards
Susan Wokoma
Jordan Gray
Lenny Rush
Catch up with The National Comedy Awards for Stand Up To Cancer on All 4
