The Brighton Fringe Awards celebrate the outstanding performances and events that make the festival fly. All companies who win an award also win a free registration to take part in Brighton Fringe the following year!
There will be an award for each category of the brochure, each award is judged by a separate organisation and runs slightly differently. For some, if you meet the award criteria, you will need to apply to be considered. For others, whether your show is seen and shortlisted is decided by the judging panel in question or it may come down to an audience vote.
As awards are confirmed they will be added to this page and announced in participant newsletters, so make sure you keep checking in. Good luck!
View our 2018 award-winning events
2019 Awards:
The Balkan / Otherplace 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 co-production with the Balkan Producing House AND entry to Brighton Fringe 2020 at The Warren (including a favourable deal). A full week of sunshine, food, drinks, forest, a lake, but of course, and especially, a rehearsal space, which will be exclusively yours 24/7.
Please visit: www.balkan-retreat.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.
If interested, please drop us an email to [javascript protected email address] with links to your show/company/website and we will try and visit your show. If your show is over, don’t be disheartened, maybe one of the team has seen it already!
The Brighton Gin Cabaret & Circus Award
The Brighton Gin Cabaret & Circus Award is open to all performers whose work falls into the category of Cabaret & Circus. We are looking for originality, innovation and ingenuity, something which challenges an audience or just makes us roar with laughter.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Latest Live Music Award
All performances listed in the music section qualify for this award. Reviewers from Latest Seven and Latest TV will choose the shortlist and overall winner based on quality and popularity. You will be contacted if you have been shortlisted.
Latest Comedy Award
All performances listed in the comedy section qualify for this award. Reviewers from Latest Seven and Latest TV will choose the shortlist and overall winner based on quality and popularity. You will be contacted if you have been shortlisted.
The Brighton Fringe Visual Arts Award in Association with Artist Open Houses
All exhibitions listed in the visual arts section will be visited by Artist Open House judges for this award. Each will be assessed on its quality, integrity and concept.The FringeReview Outstanding Theatre Award
The Gemini Print & Brighton Fringe Design for Print Award
Open to all performers, art directors, designers and venues. It could be the design for your postcards, leaflets, flyers, posters, brochures, invitations, banners, A Boards... whatever superb creativity you are planning to print to promote your events and performances.Judges will be on the lookout for:
- EYE-CATCHING: the immediate appeal of the artwork, including impact, originality and style.
- INFORMATIVE: the quality and design of the information presented on the artwork.
- MARKETABLE: the overall marketing effect of the artwork – why does it make me want to see this show?
It’s easy to gain the opportunity to win £500 of printing! Simply email your details and artwork PDF (up to five per entry) for printed promotion to designaward@gemini-print.co.uk.
Deadline for all entries: Friday 26 April 2019
The ONCA Green Curtain Award
the ONCA Green Curtain Award 2019 will go to the Brighton Fringe project that best manifests ONCA’s mission of supporting artists and audiences to engage with environmental and social challenges.
Previous Green Curtain winners are Jamal Harewood’s The Privileged and Subira.
DEADLINES FOR APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
The South East Dance Brighton Fringe Award
We are looking for work that surprises, challenges and excites us. You don’t have to be listed in the Dance section but your work must have movement and choreography at its heart.2019 Shortlisted Events:
- George by Contingency Theatre
- The Luncheon by The [a] Company
- WITCH-HUNT by A&E Company
- History of Ireland by Moxie Brawl/Sarah Blanc
- Sleuth, Could you be a Detective? by ZoieLogic Dance
- Sullied by Kristi-Leigh Gresse
Audience Choice Award
It’s the public, not the critics, who’ll choose the winner! Anyone can vote for their favourite Brighton Fringe 2019 event through the Brighton Fringe App or website.
Best Brighton Fringe Venue Award
Anyone who has attended a Brighton Fringe event is eligible to vote for their favourite venue via the Brighton Fringe website or App, both large and small venues will have an equal opportunity to win.
Spirit of the Fringe Award
Awarded to the person or organisation that best captures or embodies the spirit of Brighton Fringe!
The Brighton Fringe International Touring Bursary in Association with The Pebble Trust
This award is for participants who are resident in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex or West Sussex 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 2019 finishing. Judges from The Pebble Trust and the World Fringe Alliance will select the shows based on an application process.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
The International Youth Arts Festival Best of Brighton Fringe Awards
The International Youth Arts Festival (IYAF) takes place every year in Kingston Upon Thames. The festival aims to present the greatest work by creatives and performers aged 26 and under and give a low-risk platform to the stars of tomorrow. There will be 1 winner selected from each of the following categories:
Children & Families
Comedy
Theatre
The winner in each category will be given a free performance slot at IYAF in July 2019 (please see the slots below) and will have their performance photographed by one of the IYAF photographers.
Best of Brighton Fringe Children & Families: Sunday 7 July
Best of Brighton Fringe Comedy: Saturday 6 July
Best of Brighton Fringe Theatre: Saturday 13 July
To be eligible for the award a lead creator (writer, director, performer) must be 26 or under, the show must be no longer than 60 minutes in duration.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
New Writing South Best New Play Award
New Writing South, in partnership with Brighton Fringe, is running the Best New Play Award 2019. This award is presented to a playwright in recognition of an outstanding, original theatre script produced at Brighton Fringe.
New Writing South are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Best New Play Award 2019.We received 68 entries this year and 11 plays have been shortlisted. These are:
- After Aulis by Rowena Cooper
- The Art of Caring by Sam Cartwright
- Black Peter by Christopher Schaunig
- Clean by Sam Chittenden
- The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Luke Ofield and Pip O’Neill
- The Geminus by Ross Dinwiddy
- Like the Sea by Zoe Sharpe
- Lights! Planets! People! by Molly Naylor
- Seven Ages of Mam by Mark Evans with contributions from Pauline O’Driscol
- Wolf Tamer by Rachel Mae Brady
- 25/The Decriminalisation Monologues by Sean Denyer
Voice’s Best Newcomer Award at Brighton Fringe
Are you a Brighton Fringe first-timer? We want to hear from you!
At Brighton Fringe 2019, 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 the Fringe.
To be in the running you must apply to Voice by 17 April 2019 with details of your show, dates of performances and information about your company or solo practice. Voice will create a long-list 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 they will publish a shortlist and 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 your show reviewed on Voice during the Fringe and mentioned on social media
- Offered interviews where possible
- Be able to request assets stating your nomination to the shortlist
The winner will:
- Have your work featured on Voice Magazine.
- Be awarded Voice’s Brighton Fringe Best Newcomer Award in the closing ceremony
- Profiled throughout the year (up to four times), to follow your progress.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence in association with Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT)
Applications are now open for the Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence in association with Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT), inviting one production to perform at Brighton Fringe 2020. The winner will receive a free registration to take part in Brighton Fringe 2020, along with £500 towards production costs and a free reworking / rehearsal space from BOAT.
Brighton Fringe is the largest fringe festival in England and takes place in May. No artistic judgement or selection criteria are imposed on participants, enabling the development of both new and established work to attract fresh audiences, press and promoters. Brighton Fringe will take place from 1 – 31 May 2020.
Now in its 5th Year, BOAT will host over 140 performances from local, national and international companies. Featuring drama, comedy, circus, cabaret, music, dance and even a Pop Bingo for dogs. Put simply ‘Everything Under the Sun!’
With a capacity of 425 we have welcomed over 50,000 people through the gates. The classical Greek form makes BOAT an intimate outdoor space loved by Audiences and performers alike. BOAT enjoys 5 stars across the board from Facebook and Trip Advisor and has been listed in the top 10 outdoor theatres in the world (The Guardian) and shortlisted for Best Family Venue by ‘Fantastic for Families’.
Set in a park, BOAT is a relaxed venue where birdsong and open skies set the scene. From a performers perspective BOAT is an exceptional space to play, whilst we can’t always guarantee the weather, we can assure you that we will treat you exceptionally, support your marketing, invite you to our launch, and importantly we don’t double programme our days so when you are resident – the space is yours.
BOAT suits companies with ambition of scale where the sky’s the limit!
Find out more at www.brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk
Productions will be shortlisted by a panel of arts industry practitioners, who will select work based on the above and the following considerations:
* The production has not been performed in Brighton before
* Companies are available to perform during Brighton Fringe 2020, 1 - 31 May
Process:
Shows are welcome to apply by completing the application form and sending a press release about the event. Please note that there is no commitment from Brighton Open Air Theatre or the judges to see all shows put forward.
Please email a supporting press release to [javascript protected email address]
The shortlist will be announced at our workshop How to take part in Brighton Fringe which will take place on 18 August 13:00 – 14:30 at Fringe Central, Appleton Tower, EH8 9LE.
The winner will be announced at the Scotsman Awards Ceremony (details TBC)
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: FRIDAY 26 JULY 2019