Yesterday, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the RAW Comedy National Grand Final took place and crowned Omar Gad the freshest and funniest new talent in the country.
Hosted by triple j’s Concetta Caristo, 12 finalists from around Australia took part in the RAW Comedy National Grand Final, including: Aaqib Merchant (VIC), Suma Iyer (ACT), Nathan Chin (NSW), Cam Muratore (VIC), Omar Gad (NT), Stella Kappos (SA), Stephanie Hare (TAS), Kiyanosh Sahebi (NSW), Jaimeson Gilders (QLD), Dylan Murphy (VIC), Jazz Bing (WA) and Stella Wu (NSW).
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These 12 finalists were selected from almost one thousand budding comedians from all corners of the nation who registered to compete across a total of 61 heats and finals – all hitting stages with their best five-minute set.
While the judges deliberated, the audience enjoyed special guest performances from Darren Harriott (UK) and Josh Jones (UK).
Awarding Omar Gad from the Northern Territory the 2024 RAW Comedy winner, was an esteemed judging panel including: Susan Provan (Festival Director), Kanan Gill (Comedian and author), Lisa Wang (Producer, White Fever), Kathryn Craigmyle (Comedy Programmer, Soho Theatre London) and Luka Muller (Comedian and triple j presenter).
In addition to winning the much-lauded title, Omar will laugh all the way to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where they’ll have a chance to compete in So You Think You’re Funny? Stephanie Hare (TAS) and Stella Kappos (SA) were also named runners-up.
For the past 28 years, Melbourne International Comedy Festival has presented RAW Comedy – giving aspiring comedians from across Australia the opportunity to compete with their wit at the country’s largest and most prestigious open mic comedy competition.
All finalists now join the elite ranks of Australia’s comedy scene, with RAW Comedy National Finalist Alumni including: Hannah Gadsby, Ronny Chieng, Matt Okine, Becky Lucas, Aaron Chen, Sarah Kendall, Sam Simmons, Celia Pacquola, Luke McGregor, Rhys Nicholson, Tom Ballard, Anne Edmonds, Sam Campbell, Georgie Carroll, David Woodhead, Cassie Workman and many more.
The 2024 RAW Comedy National Grand Final will be broadcast on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand later this year. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s other development programs include Class Clowns and Deadly Funny.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival runs until 21 April. For more information and to buy tickets, visit comedyfestival.com.au.
