Announcing the 2025 European Comedy Edinburgh Fringe Award Winners
2025 has delivered another extraordinary Edinburgh Fringe, and we’re thrilled to reveal the winners of our European Comedy Edinburgh Fringe Awards — shining a spotlight on the boldest, freshest European voices in the festival.
At European Comedy, we believe in recognising comedic artistry that pushes boundaries, connects across borders, and lives somewhere between the daring and the deeply human. This year’s winners exemplify that spirit.
The 2025 Winners
- Best Show: Stuart Kennedy — Comedians & Dragons
- Best Performer: Sofia May — 9/11 Birds and The Bees
What the Winners Receive
Winners of the European Comedy Edinburgh Fringe Award will be granted a package of opportunities designed to amplify their reach and support their next steps:
- Paid performance opportunities in Barcelona (in collaboration with the Comedy Clubhouse), with flights and lodging included
- A performance slot at the inaugural Barcelona Fringe Festival
- A laurel badge for use in future promotional materials
These rewards aren’t just symbolic — they’re concrete chances for these comedians to build momentum, grow their audiences, and extend their reach beyond Edinburgh.
Stuart Kennedy — Comedians & Dragons (Best Show)
Stuart Kennedy takes home Best Show for Comedians & Dragons, a show that blurs the line between stand-up, storytelling, and fantasy roleplay. It’s a wild, self-aware adventure — part improv, part narrative, all joy.
What makes Comedians & Dragons stand out is its willingness to lean fully into its own absurdity. Through sharp comedic instincts and narrative dexterity, Kennedy builds a world where the audience is part of the chaos — dragons, dice, and jokes included. Each run feels fresh, vibrant, and full of surprises.
Across its runs at the Fringe, Comedians & Dragons earned a devoted following, and it’s easy to see why. It isn’t just a show — it’s a community experience, a playground for comedy nerds and fantasy lovers alike. For combining inventive structure, comedic heart, and a magnetic stage presence, we’re proud to name it Best Show 2025.
Sofia May — 9/11 Birds and The Bees (Best Performer)
Taking the Best Performer award is the striking debut of Sofia May with 9/11 Birds and The Bees. This is a show that confronts weighty themes — grief, global trauma — but flips them into a daring, darkly funny, and ultimately life-affirming hour.
Sofia’s performance is disarmingly honest and sharp. She navigates an emotional tightrope: exposing vulnerability while landing gut-punch jokes, veering into discomfort then yanking audiences back into laughter with deft comic timing. The result is a deeply personal piece that lands with resonance and wit.
But perhaps what makes her win especially powerful is that this is her first hour ever, created and promoted entirely on her own — no PR team, no management. To accomplish this and deliver something this strong, this polished, this affecting — it’s nothing short of remarkable. Sofia May is a performer to watch, and it is with full pleasure we award her Best Performer 2025.
Congratulations & What’s Next
Big, sincere congratulations to Stuart Kennedy and Sofia May. Their work reminds us how comedy can be adventurous, emotionally authentic, and community-building all at once.
