North Essex New Comedian of The Year was established in 2008 by Wivenhoe Funny Farm – and was renamed Colchester New Comedian of The Year in 2011 . Since 2013 the competition has been an annual fixture of Colchester Comedy Festival.
This annual comedy competition is open to acts who are not being paid to perform comedy (preferably with an East Anglian connection). We have had a break in 2018 but will be running the competition again in 2019. Please email funnyfarmcomedy@gmail.com with details of your name, age, number of gigs performed and where you are based.
There are usually spaces for 10 acts in each heat. Judging in the heats is by audience vote. The top 4 plus best placed wildcard go through to the final. The final is normally judged by a panel of local creative professionals.
Previous Competitions
2017
Winner was Southend’s Jordan Gray with runners up Tom Edwards from Wivenhoe and Josh James.
2016
Winner was Amy Trigg from Witham on her second ever 
comedy gig (her first was the heat at Mercury studio).
2nd place was Essex graduate Sam Smedley
Jay Islaam from Peterborough was 3rd.
2015
Winner of our 2015 trophy was Cheekytita. Runner up in the final at Colchester Arts Centre was Colchester’s Carl Denham. Joint third place were Jake Baker and Jo Fletcher Cross.
2014
Winner of our 2014 trophy in the final held at Colchester Arts Centre was Thom Barrett.
2nd place Liam Sullivan, 3rd place Dom Lister
2013
Winner Ben Clover
2nd Place Af Panjalizadeh
Joint 3rd Place Mark Silcox & Ed Hedges
2011
Winner David Traynier
2nd Place Kerry Souter
3rd Place Ted Luff
2009
Winner Darren Maskell
2nd Place Piotr Walszuk
3rd Place Adnan Ahmed.
2008
Winner Paul Byrne
2nd Place Andrew Doyle
3rd Place Jane Hill.
Wivenhoe Funny Farm 