Third and final week’s winners of 'The Besties' - The Skinny-Fest Festival Awards (for festivals)

The final week of the Skinny-Fest Festival Awards aka The Besties  

The final winners of Edinburgh's newest awards show, The Skinny-Fest Festival Awards (for festivals) or The Besties received their awards at the Festival Theatre in the final ceremony of it's inaugural year. The winners were chosen by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening anywhere in the festivals. The final categories feature all new accolades reflecting the diversity of the magazines’ coverage.

This week's ceremony was hosted by STV news anchor Laura Boyd and attendees were treated to a performance by pianist Eve Simpson, an artist and songwriter from South Shields who is a member of Tinderbox Collective. 

What our judges had to say:

The Unsung Award
Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands
Eight years in the making, Carla J Easton and Blair Young’s documentary tells the story of Scottish pop music from the 1960s onwards, talking to some of the visionary women whose musical contributions have been obscured for too long. The film’s premier closed Edinburgh International Film Festival. The Skinny’s Music editor Tallah Brash said “Genuinely brilliant - it was informative, funny, heart-breaking, full of joy, comedy and heart. I just wish I knew about all of these bands when I was growing up!” 

The Heart Award
A Knock on the Roof
The Skinny’s reviewer Ellen Davis-Walker wrote, “A Knock on the Roof will leave you with questions. For example, do you think you’d sing to your child if bombs fell from the sky, like parents in Khan Yunis or Rafah will do tonight? Would you, like Mariam, be brave enough to tell your baby that artillery explosions outside were just fireworks? How fast could you run, really, with 8 kilos of possessions on your back, weighed down by the knowledge that your old life had just vanished into dust?” She describes the play as one of the most important pieces of work to emerge from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in years.

The Inclusivity Award
Hamlet
Nominated by Fest editor Arusa Qureshi. Peruvian theatre company Teatro La Plaza’s take on Hamlet reshapes Shakespeare’s classic text to place the stories of eight actors with Down's syndrome front and centre. Part of this year’s EIF programme, director and writer Chela De Ferrari’s production sees actors performing scenes from Hamlet with humour, heart and passion, their own lives coalescing with the stories of the characters as they navigate what it means to take up space in an ableist world. It’s an interpretation that is full of joy, an important celebratory energy and some hard truths. 

The Accessibility Award
The Thera Trust for their Gig Buddies initiative
Gig Buddies enables adults with a learning disability to live an active social life. They operate in the city year-round, working with local arts organisations and venues to make cultural events as accessible as possible. In August, they work with the Fringe, International Festival and Book Festival to take Gig Buddies members to hundreds of performances - we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate their work and commitment to improving accessibility in the festivals.

The Fringe Legend Award
John-Luke Roberts 
John-Luke Roberts has been a staple of the Fringe for a number of years, with both his solo shows, late night extravaganzas (ACMS, Terrible Wonderful Adaptations, Cabaret Impedimenta) and general support of alternative comedy in whichever form it can possibly be expressed. This year, he has performed each of his ten solo shows over consecutive days, calling the run John Luke-a-Palooza. JLR and this series of shows has shown a herculean commitment to the Fringe and to alternative comedy. Polly Glynn - Comedy Editor of The Skinny said "It has been a pleasure and a rare opportunity to get to relive some of the best (and most uniquely titled) Fringe shows in recent memory. A particular shout out goes to 'Stdad-Up', originally performed in 2015 as part of PBH's Free Fringe at the Voodoo Rooms. It is incredible that a show from nine years ago, and perhaps my favourite ever of all Fringe shows, can remain as sharp, funny and poignant as ever in 2024. Congratulations JLR"

The Terrier Award, selected by Fringe Dog
Eleanor Morton
Radge Media’s canine correspondent Fringe Dog had this to say about his selection for comedy’s top prize: "As a dog with heightened senses it is disappointing i've never seen a ghost, but i can sniff out brilliant comedy !!! in "haunted house," eleanor morton is spooking the real-life ghouls threatening her beloved city and its festivals. haunted house is a whistleblowin' show helpin' us all be good guard dogs - we need to protect the people, the city and the festivals we love !!! eleanor morton wins the terrier award !!! 5stars to all !!! love from your bestie friend, fringe dog"

The Stooshie of the Festival Award 
Creative Scotland & The Scottish Government 
An award presented without a trophy (due to a lack of available funds) shared by the Scottish Government for the effective defunding of Scotland’s creative industries and Creative Scotland for choosing to close the Open Fund for Individuals and announcing it in the middle of the biggest celebration of the arts in the world.

Complete list of winners:

🏆 The Fringe Legend Award to John Luke Roberts for for John-Luke-A-Palooza! at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) 

🏆 The Terrier Award to Eleanor Morton for Haunted House at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)

🏆 The Heart Award to Khawla Ibraheem and Piece by Piece Productions for A Knock on the Roof at Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) 

🏆 The Inclusivity Award to Teatro La Plaza for Hamlet at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh (Edinburgh International Festival)

🏆 The Accessibility Award to Thera Trust for the Gig Buddies initiative 

🏆 The Unsung Award to Blair Young and Carla J Easton for Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands (Edinburgh International Film Festival) 

🏆 The Stooshie of the Festival Award to Creative Scotland & The Scottish Government for the defunding of Scotland’s creative industries in the middle of the biggest arts festival in the world

The Besties, produced in partnership with The Skinny, Fest Magazine and Premier Scotland.