NEW Zealand comic Rose Matafeo has won the award for best comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe with her stand-up routine Horndog.
Matafeo, 26, received the prize from Alan Partridge comedian Steve Coogan, who himself won the award in 1992.
Horndog features sketch show elements and tackles issues such as sex and love. Matafeo was given £10,000 in prize money.
Following her win, she tweeted: “I am completely overwhelmed to win this award. Far out. Awesome actually.”
I am completely overwhelmed to win this award. Far out. Awesome actually. pic.twitter.com/XKHhvqGLoV
— Rose Matafeo (@Rose_Matafeo) August 25, 2018
Matafeo fought off competition from six other nominated comedians including Ahir Shah, Alex Edelman and Felicity Ward.
Director of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Nica Burns said: “New Zealander Rose Matafeo, the fizzing, charismatic 26-year-old voice of millennials, triumphs in a nail-bitingly close year.
“Funny and sassy, she riffs about love, adolescence and social media obsession to a pop culture soundtrack. An utterly joyful adrenaline high.”
Irish comic Ciaran Dowd was crowned best newcomer following his run at the festival with his show Don Rodolfo.
A special panel prize of £5,000 was given to Home Safe Collective, which was set up by a group of female comedians led by Angela Barnes.
The initiative was started following the murder of Australian comedian Eurydice Dixon, who was attacked on her way home from a gig in June.
During the festival, donations were used to set up an account with an Edinburgh taxi service whose drivers are police checked.
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