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The Ö÷²¥´óÐã New Comedy Awards is a nationwide talent search to find the best new stand-ups. Since they first began in 1995, the prestigious awards have helped launch the careers of many of the UK’s best-loved comedians.

This year, over 1,200 comics applied, before being whittled down to the top 30. Tonight, five hopefuls will battle it out for a place in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã One Grand Final at Kings Theatre in Glasgow, where one will be crowned the Ö÷²¥´óÐã New Comedian of 2023.

We’re heading north to Scotland and the legendary Leith Theatre, a 1930s art deco venue that has been transformed into a multi-arts space which supports emerging Scottish talent and local creative projects. Five acts will take to the stage in front of a packed house of more than 200 comedy-goers.

Award-winning Glaswegian stand-up comedian Larry Dean is our host for the evening, and joining him are the three judges – writer, comedian and actor Richard Gadd and multiple Scottish comedy award winner Susie McCabe, as well as our our erudite head judge Josh Pugh.

Lauren Steven, Dean T Beirne, Daniel Petrie, Kyrah Gray and Alex MacKeith will perform their set before the judges decide who will go through to the grand final in November.

This is just one of six heats taking place across the UK – Bethnal Green, Nottingham, Bangor, Ballymena and Sunderland all play host to these incredibly competitive comedy showdowns.

First established in 1995, these prestigious awards have helped build and nurture the careers of some of Britain’s most loved comedians, including Peter Kay, Joe Lycett, Lee Mack, Julian Barratt, Josie Long, Shaparak Khorsandi, Romesh Ranganathan, Alan Carr, Russell Howard, Tom Allen, Sarah Millican, Anna Thomas and Dan Tiernan.

The Ö÷²¥´óÐã New Comedy Awards is unearthing a wealth of brand new comedy talent who will become the stars of the future.