Every year, the Brighton Fringe Awards celebrate the outstanding performances and events that make the festival fly. A whole host of awards celebrate the variety of art forms on show at the Fringe, and each award recognises the respective recipients in a unique way. All companies who win an award also win a free registration to take part in Brighton Fringe 2021 and returning companies will also be mentioned in the editorial pages of our 2021 brochure.
View our 2019 award-winning events here
Brighton Fringe Awards 2020:
The Brighton Fringe Exhibitions Award in Association with Artists Open Houses
All exhibitions listed in the Brighton Fringe programme will be visited by Artist Open House judges for this award. Each will be assessed on its quality, integrity and concept.
The Brighton Fringe International Touring Award in Association with The Pebble Trust
This award is for participants who are resident in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex or West Sussex with tour-ready work only. The prize will enable you to tour to an international festival and includes up to £2,500 towards travel, accommodation and other related touring costs, to be used within 18 months of Brighton Fringe 2020 finishing. Judges from World Fringes and The Pebble Trust will select the shows based on an application process.
Deadline: 17:00, Friday 17 April
Otherplace/Balkan Award
Win a one week R&D residency at the Balkan Retreat, followed by a short run at a fringe theatre in Belgrade, a possible future co-production with the Balkan Producing House AND entry to Brighton Fringe 2021 at The Warren (including a favourable deal). A full week of inspiration and creativity full of sunshine, homegrown food, forest, a lake and especially, a rehearsal space, exclusively yours 24/7.
Previous winners: Fat Rascal Theatre (2017), Garry Starr (2018), Bright Buoy Productions (2019)
Please visit: www.balkan-producing-house.com
Criteria:
- All theatrical genres allowed as long as the work is original.
- Maximum 6 company members can visit.
- Ideally your company has a producer or production manager role.
- Work that is ‘translatable’, for Serbian audiences, i.e. not too text heavy.
If interested, please drop us an email with links to your show/company/website and we will try and visit your show at the Fringe. Email us at [javascript protected email address]
Deadline for applications: 5pm 30 April
The Fringe Review Outstanding Theatre Award
There's no need to apply for an award from FringeReview. In fact, they actively ask you not to pitch your show for the award. Their awards aren't based on an application process, rather it all comes down to the views of the review team. If a reviewer believes a show is worthy of an award, it is then re-seen by another reviewer or reviewers. If the award is confirmed, the company will be notified of their success.
Gemini Print Best Design for Print Award
Gemini Print is very proud to continue to encourage design excellence and be the Official Print Partner of Brighton Fringe. When taking part in the largest annual arts festival in England and one of the largest fringe festivals in the world, it is important that performers and venues can effectively promote their events and venues.
What will you get?
- The Public’s favourite vote:
£200 printing - The Judges vote:
£300 printing
Free registration to Brighton Fringe 2021
Certificate at the Brighton Fringe Award Ceremony (31st May 2020)
(The judging panel includes Gemini Print and Brighton Fringe in addition to design, marketing and communications experts.The decision of the judges is final. There are no cash alternatives to the award vouchers. Please contact [javascript protected email address] if you have any questions.)
Criteria
Look at the Gemini Print criteria for applications here: https://www.gemini-print.co.uk/brighton-fringe-2020-design-for-print-award/
How to Apply
Email up to five PDFs to [javascript protected email address].
Please enter the following in the subject line: Design for Print 20 – [Name of Entrant] (the name to be used on any award or certificate).
On the email please include full contact information and highlight names of the other key people involved. If you want to highlight how your design has met the criteria in your opinion this would be useful to the judges when the shortlists of finalists are created. By entering you are authorising Gemini Print and Brighton Fringe to share your entries with judges and for the public vote and all associated publicity – while the Copyright remains with you.
All submissions must be received by Friday 15 May 2020.
New Writing South Best New Play Award
This award is presented to a playwright in recognition of an outstanding, original theatre script produced at Brighton Fringe.
The criteria for entering is:
- An original scripted piece of work
- Written within the last 12 months
- Maximum of 10 previous performances
- Be at least 40 minutes long in performance time
- Be staged at Brighton Fringe 2020
Note: New translations of foreign language scripts will be considered if they meet the criteria above.
If you would like to enter your script please complete the googleform and upload your script as a pdf. For more information about the award or the submission process please email Sarah at [javascript protected email address]
Apply here. All submissions must be received by Friday 3 April 2020.
The ONCA Green Curtain Award
ONCA is a Brighton based arts charity that bridges social and environmental justice issues. With our public programmes we create inclusive spaces for collaborative learning, artist support and community solidarity.
The ONCA Green Curtain Award will go to the Brighton Fringe show that best manifests ONCA’s mission of supporting artists and audiences to engage with environmental and social challenges. The winner will receive a 3 week residency at the ONCA Barge Artist Studio, an opportunity to showcase in the gallery, mentoring and space on our online platforms.
Apply here. All submissions must be received by Thursday 30 April 2020.
Reading Fringe Festival Award at Brighton Fringe
Reading Fringe Festival, which runs from 17-26 July 2020, is looking for outstanding work for this award. Your show can be in any category, though you should have simple technical and lighting requirements and a small cast and crew.
To apply you must be available for the whole of Reading Fringe Festival as this award involves a transfer, with a date to be confirmed in early June.
Five shortlisted shows will all be invited to Reading Fringe Festival to perform their show as part of our Best of Brighton Fringe season. One of the five shortlisted shows will be named the winner of the Reading Fringe Festival Award.
What will you get?
All five shortlisted applicants will:
- Be given one date to perform at Reading Fringe Festival as part of our Best of Brighton Fringe selection: date to be confirmed in April
- Receive reasonable travel expenses (within South East with costs agreed with Reading Fringe Festival before booking)
- Be given overnight accommodation
- Receive 50% of the box office takings for their show
The winner will:
- Be given all of the above (with their show stage at South Street on Thursday 23 July)
- Be awarded a certificate at the Brighton Fringe Awards Ceremony (31 May)
- Be given free registration for Brighton Fringe 2021
- Receive a fee of £500 after performing at Reading Fringe Festival 2020
How to apply:
The submission window is now open, you can apply here. All submissions must be received by 23:59 on 10 April 2020.
The Reading Fringe Festival team will create a longlist of shows which we will aim to see.
Note: If you’re shortlisted for this award and you’ve already been accepted to Reading Fringe Festival's open access programme independently, your registration fee will be refunded to you. However, you will be expected to perform twice - once as per your scheduled event and once as part of Best of Brighton Fringe season.
This award is sponsored by Reading BID.
The South East Dance Brighton Fringe Award
South East Dance will come and see a range of dance performance work during the Festival that has movement and choreography at its heart. There is no need to apply; we will be delving into the Fringe Brochure to find work that excites and surprises us.
Your work doesn’t have to be listed in the Dance section to be included.
If you are an artist who feels their work should be considered, feel free to get in touch at [javascript protected email address].
The winner will receive:
- Two mentoring sessions with the SED programming team
- Reimbursement of your 2020 fringe brochure entry feed
- A week of free rehearsal space at South East Dance’s brand new venue – The Dance Space from Spring 2021. Be among the first artists to develop work in this new high spec, purpose built facility
Voice’s Best Newcomer Award at Brighton Fringe
Are you a Brighton Fringe first-timer? We want to hear from you!
At Brighton Fringe 2020, Voice Magazine will be awarding a prize to the Best Newcomer. Your show can be in any category (theatre, comedy, circus, visual arts etc), there is only one condition for eligibility: it must be your first time at Brighton Fringe.
To be in the running you must apply to Voice by 16 April 2020 with details of your show, dates of performances and information about your company or solo practice.
Voice will create an internal longlist and then send a reviewer to one of your performances if chosen—don’t worry, they’ll arrange tickets directly through the Fringe.
Towards the end of the Fringe we will publish a shortlist and Voice Magazine will get in contact for interviews. From there, they will let us know the finalists so we can invite you to the award ceremony.
What will you get?
All shortlisted applicants will:
- Have their show reviewed on Voice during the Fringe and mentioned on social media
- Be offered interviews where possible
- Be able to request assets stating your nomination to the shortlist
The winner will:
- Have their work featured on Voice Magazine.
- Be awarded Voice’s Brighton Fringe Best Newcomer Award at the awards ceremony
- Profiled throughout the year (up to four times), to follow your progress.
Apply here. All submissions must be received by 23:59 on 16 April 2020.
About
Voice is a magazine and platform for young creatives covering arts, culture, politics and technology. Voice is the Youth Media Partner of Brighton Fringe.
Voice works with a team of opinionated young reviewers aged 16-30 years to see shows, publish reviews in the online magazine and find the Best Newcomer to Brighton Fringe 2020.