Last night we celebrated the successes of the artists and venues who made Brighton Fringe 2022 possible and announced this year’s award-winners at the Brighton Fringe awards ceremony, hosted by Brighton Spiegeltent. 

Brighton Fringe CEO, Julian Caddy, opened the ceremony with a tribute to Fringe-favourite Lynn Ruth Miller who recently passed away before awarding more than twenty awards to stand-out events and venues of the 2022 season. 

First up, were the Fuse International Best of Brighton Fringe awards presented by Daisy Shepherd. Snowflake by Winter Theatre secured the theatre award, with Brighton favourites Clap Back Club winning the comedy award with their show Retrain, Reduce, Recycle. Stories in Garden by Actors of Dionysus and Bee in my Beanie won the Children and Family award, with Fragments by Broken Silence Theatre taking home the Digital Award. Each winner will receive an opportunity to perform at the Fuse International festival in July.

Betsy: Wisdom of a Brighton Whore by Something Underground was awarded The Brighton International Fringe Encore Award, which secures them the chance to perform their show at Soho Playhouse in New York City, and Airswimming by Brighton Little Theatre was awarded the Fringe Review Outstanding Theatre award and took home the coveted Fringe Review teapot.

Brighton Fringe print partner Gemini Print Group awarded two highly commended certificates in their Design for Print award to Cynically Dead: Sharon Em & James Johnson and Just Sayin’ by Tina Zucco. Jekyll & Hyde: A One Woman Show took home the judges award for Design for Print whilst Lachlan Werner: Voices of Evil claimed victory in the public vote.

There were two joint recipients for the ONCA Green Curtain award, awarded to events that best manifest ONCA’s mission of supporting artists and audiences to engage with environmental and social challenges. Showwomen by Carnesky Productions Ltd and ASTRA: A Multimedia Theatre Production by Naomi Foyle and Raven Kaliana share the award.

The Offfest Award for Theatre was won by Underdogs by The Foundry Group who thanked their hosts at Rialto Theatre whilst 0.0031% (Plastic and Chicken Bones) by Give or Take Theatre were awarded Voice Mag’s Best Newcomer award. 

Brighton Fringe Exhibitions Award in Association with Artists Open Houses was awarded to Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) by Nadir Project Space who hosted a contemporary art exhibition in their living room with Osborne & What's This is What the Menopause Looks Like receiving a nomination for the award.

The Scenesaver Best Digital Event was won by 落叶归根 (Luò yè guī gēn) Getting Home by Cheryl Ho and Rachel Lee, a one-woman show that interrogates the conflict between a woman’s ambition and her sense of duty and longing to be with her family.

Local Brighton heroes Sassy The Show took home the Unbarred Best Local Artist Award for their show SASSY 2.0 while MOTHERLOAD! by Urban Foxes Collective won the Brighton Fringe International Touring bursary in association with The Pebble Trust, securing £2,500 for future touring.

My Heart is a Spark by Hello Strawberry (supported by The Ironclad Creative New Writing Bursary & The encoreinsure.com Bursary) took home the Audience Choice award for best event whilst the Audience Choice best venue award went to The Under Sea Diner, as voted for by the public. Two Outstanding Contribution awards were awarded to The Pebble Trust & their judging panel and Brighton Spiegeltent for their continued work to elevate Brighton Fringe in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The final award of the evening, The Spirit of Brighton Fringe award, was given to Tony and Shirley Jaffe who have run The Old Courtroom venue and performed as part of Brighton Fringe for many years.

Brighton Fringe would like to take this opportunity to thank all the sponsors, partners and collaborators who gave out this year’s awards, as well as the countless performers, venues, volunteers, friends and others who made Brighton Fringe 2022 a roaring success. 

See you next year!