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The Laughing Horse New Act of the Year - Finding the best in New Comedy Talent

This competition ran annually from 2001 to 2018, finding the comedy stars of tomorrow with heats around the UK. Although the competition has rested since, plans are afoot for a return in 2022.

2018 Competition Winner, Janine Harouni

Our last competition Final took place in London in December 2018, with finalsists Jen Ives, Toussaint Douglass, Eryn Tett, Janine Harouni, Mustafa Fecto, Joseph Emsilie, Nicholas Everett, Cordelia Graham, Akin Omobitan, Adam Woolard, Leo Gallagher and Ciaran Chillingworth

Check out our past winners page to see the full list of previous winners and finalists since 2001.


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The Laughing Horse New Act of the Year has been scouring the country since 2001 to find the best in new comedy talent, and has discovered some amazing talent who are now staples of the UK comedy scene, and on the TV across the world

The winner recieves a large Cash Prize, plus gigs and work but the most important thing is being seen by the comedy industry who attend semi-finals and the final to give these talented new acts a boost to thier comedy careers.

Previous winners and finalists include: Jack Whitehall, Russell Kane, Greg Davies, Nina Conti, Joe Lycett, Liz Carr, Rhod Gilbert, Sofie Hagen, Joe Wilkinson, Henning Wehn, Andi Osho, Imran Yusuf and many more TV regulars, theatre-fillers and stalwarts of the comedy scene.

Who will be next? Find out soon as the competition will return in 2022