Raw Comedy
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Raw Comedy, stylised as RAW Comedy, is an Australian annual competition for emerging stand-up comedians held by Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
History and description
The Raw Comedy competition was established at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1996. In 2011, there were 1,100 contestants.
The competition is supported by national youth radio station Triple J. As of 2024[update] the competition attracts around 1,000 entrants annually from all over Australia, and is the largest open-mic comedy competition in the country.
A series of heats take place in major Australian cities through January, February and March. State semi-finals and finals are held in the state capitals in March. Judges select the most impressive state-finalist/s to compete at the Raw Comedy grand finale, which held as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at the Melbourne Town Hall in April and is televised later in June/July of the same year.[citation needed]
The winner of Raw Comedy is sent to the So You Think You're Funny competition at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Three Raw Comedy winners (Drew Rokos, Nick Sun, and Demi Lardner) have gone on to win So You Think You're Funny.[citation needed][when?]
Past winners and finalists
| Year | Winner(s) | Other finalists |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Anthony Menchetti (WA) | Kylie Brickhill & Libby Dempsey are the Plastered Bastard Sisters (Vic) |
| 1997 | Subby Valentine (NSW) | Lawrence Mooney Sue Watt Adam Richard |
| 1998 | Chris Franklin (NSW) | Mickey D (SA) The Dickster (NSW) Lindsay Webb (QLD) Marty Wilson (NSW) Des Dowling (VIC) Sarah Kendall (NSW) Katrina Shiels (QLD) Matthew Sutherland (NSW) Monica (SA) |
| 1999 | Chris Wainhouse (Qld) | Adam Rozenbachs (Vic) Gavin Baskerville (WA) |
| 2000 | Drew Rokos (Vic) | Penny Pedersen (NSW) Lawrence Leung (Vic) Stav Davidson (Qld) Jyhe Walker (Qld) Fiona O'Loughlin (Qld) Chris Lilley (NSW) Abe Forsythe (NSW) |
| 2001 | Emily O'Loughlin (SA) | Alan Rutledge (Qld) Eleven Thh (Tas) Geraldine Hickey (Vic) Luke Whitby (SA) Martin Steel (Qld) Michael Chamberlin (Vic) Penny Tangey (Vic) Robert Nix (NSW) Ronan McChesney (NSW) Ross Janetzki (Qld) Terry North (Vic) Vanessa Hill (NSW) Xavier Michaledes (WA) Yianni Agisilaou (Vic) |
| 2002 | Dave Elvins (NSW) | Desh (Qld) Robbie Moore (Qld) Simon Nutt (Qld) Nat Locke (WA) Kai Tier (WA) Ben Richardson (Vic) Mia Timpano (Vic) Andrew McClelland (Vic) Runner Up Paul Fitzgerald (Vic) Sam Fewings (NT) Jilkamu (Sean Choolburra) (NSW) Runner Up Jo O'Brien (SA) Zita Whalley |
| 2003 | Nelly Thomas (Vic) Steve Sheehan (SA) | Sam Simmons (SA) Jeremy Miller and Chris North (NSW) Shalini Akhil (Vic) |
| 2004 | Nick Sun (NSW) | Sam Bowring (NSW) |
| 2005 | Josh Thomas (Qld) | Ethan Marell (WA) |
| 2006 | Hannah Gadsby (SA) | Michael Williams (Vic; runner-up) Celia Pacquola (Vic; Raw Recruit Prize) Dylan Bennett and Kadek Hobman (NT; runner-up) Bart Freebairn (Qld) Bec Hill (SA) Tom Ballard (Vic) Jeff Hewitt (WA) Danii Johnstone (NSW) Paul Ayre (NSW) Sasha Terranova (Vic) Matt Burton (Tas) Ben Jenkins (NSW) Selina Jenkins as "Beau Heartbreaker" (Vic) |
| 2007 | Jonathan Schuster (Vic) | Aamer Rahman (Vic; runner-up) Jack Druce (NSW; Raw Recruit Prize) Xavier Susai (WA) Shaun Conroy (Qld) Ellen Briggs (Qld) Maverick (NT) Aleisha McCormack (Tas) Anyone for Tennis (Vic) The D (SA) Tracy Crisp (SA) Saikim Wan (NT) |
| 2008 | Neil Sinclair (Vic) | David Cunningham (NSW; runner-up) Laura Davis (WA; Raw Recruit Prize) Mel Buttle (Qld) Ryan Coffey (Vic) John Conway (WA) Michele Fryer (SA) Scott McGowan (NT) Luke McGregor (Tas) Louise Sanz (Vic) Smart Casual (NSW) Jay Sullivan (ACT) |
| 2009 | Cassie Workman (WA) | Charles Barrington (Anthony Rogers) (Vic; co-runner-up) Don Tran (Vic; Raw Recruit Prize) Mikey Mileos (NSW) Rhys Nicholson (NSW) Tracey Cosgrove (Tas) Shikhar Thakur (WA) Adam Keily (SA) Nicole Roddy (NT) Pam Rana (Qld) Ben and James Stevenson are The Stevenson Experience (ACT) Ash Walmsley (Qld; co-runner-up) Shannon Woodford as "Adele" (Vic) |
| 2010 | Luke Heggie (NSW) | Ronny Chieng (Vic; Special Mention) Geoffrey Windle (Qld; Special Mention) Catherine Hall (Vic) Callan Durlik (WA) Levi Dobson (NT) Moataz Hamde as "Mo-Taz" (SA) James Mullany (WA) David Bakker (Tas) Sam Radford (Vic) Anne Edmonds (Vic) James McCann (SA) Chloe Alison Escott (Tas) |
| 2011 | Dayne Rathbone (Vic) | Khaled Khalafalla (Vic; runner-up) Tom Gaynor (SA; runner-up) Xenethor (NT) Adam Knox (Vic) Adam Francis (Vic) Tien Tran (WA) Genevieve Fricker (NSW) Laura Hughes (NSW) Sam Campbell (Qld) Ting Lim (Qld) Claire Sullivan (Tas) |
| 2012 | Lessons with Luis (Vic) | Amos Gill (SA; runner-up) Cameron James (NSW; runner-up) Andrew Wolfe (NSW) Hayman Kent (Vic) Mitchell McCutcheon (Qld) Georgie Carroll (SA) Mike Nayna (Vic) Dylan Hesp (Stephen) (Tas) Kyle Walmsley (NT) Jon Pinder (WA) |
| 2013 | Demi Lardner (SA) | Cameron Duggan (Qld; runner-up) Andy Matthews (Vic; runner-up) Chris Menezies (Tas) Justin Crooks (NT) Sean Conway (WA) Colin Ebsworth (WA) Jay Morrissey (Vic) Megan McKay (Vic) Aaron Chen (NSW) Becky Lucas (Qld) Tim Noon (ACT) |
| 2014 | Matt Stewart (Vic) | Katie Burch (NSW; runner-up) Cyrus Bezyan (NSW) Jennifer Burke (Qld) Michael Kelly (NT) Megan McCrea (Vic) Kerri Gay (Tas) Matt Storer (WA) Marc Ryan (SA) Simon Etheridge (WA) Justin Hayward (Vic) Rohan Desai (Raw India winner and special guest) |
| 2015 | Angus Gordon (Qld) | Rohan Ganju (Vic; runner-up) Jess Perkins (Vic; special mention) Sam Taunton (Vic; special mention) Jono Mastrippolito (Tas) Amy Hetherington (NT) Anamarg (ACT) Charlie McCann (NSW) Cory John Rist (WA) David McNevin (NSW) Ismail Ali (Vic) Nicholas Huntley (SA) |
| 2016 | Danielle Walker (VIC) | Clinton Haines (NSW; runner-up) Naomi Higgins (VIC) Chris Kearney (NSW) Craig Quartermaine (WA) David Woodhead (NT) Emily Vascotto (QLD) James McMahon (ACT) Lewis Garnham (SA) Maedi Prichard (TAS) Michael Shafar (VIC) Squirly (WA) |
| 2017 | Zack Dyer (VIC) | Bonnie Tangey (NSW; runner-up) Shaquille Blackley (WA; runner-up) Andrew Bensley (ACT) Jason Williams (NT) Oliver Twist (QLD) Brad Hollis (SA) Isabella Roldan (TAS) Jared Keen (VIC) Carla Wills (SA) Billy D'Arcy (NSW) Daisy Webb (VIC) |
| 2018 | Bec Melrose (NSW) | Emma Holland (ACT; runner-up) Gavin Sempel (VIC; runner-up) Alex Hall-Evans (SA) Bronwyn Kuss (QLD) Emo Majok (WA) Jane New (TAS) Kevin Jin (NSW) Matthew Vasquez (VIC) Ryan McArthur (NT) Scout Boxall (VIC) Sian Smyth (NSW) |
| 2019 | Fady Kassab (NSW) | Laura Hutchinson (WA; Runner-up) Suraj Kolarkar (QLD; Runner-up) Rose Bishop (VIC) Steph Broadbridge (NSW) Jacob Jackman (SA) Arun Alexan (NT) Edwin Tetlow (ACT) Double Dee (VIC) Harry Morrissey(VIC) Sam Horton (TAS) Elliott Stewart (NSW) Rakhesh Martyn (VIC) Kathryn Thomas (NSW) |
| 2021 | Prue Blake (VIC) | Caitlin Maggs (ACT) Dhruv Iyer (WA; special mention) Hamish Levis (TAS) He Huang (VIC) Jayde O'Brien (QLD; special mention) Kelly Gulliver (NT) Mathew Hespe (VIC) Patrick Golamco (NSW; runner-up) Rudy-Lee Taurua (SA) Tom Witcombe (NSW) Zoë Sitas (NSW) |
| 2022 | Alexandra Hudson (NSW) and Bron Lewis (QLD) | Aves Robins (WA) Blake Pavey (VIC) Cathal Leslie (ACT) Delhi Buoy (SA; runner-up) Dom McGovern (WA) Guneet Kaur (NSW) Heather Joan (VIC; runner-up) Iona Colville (TAS) Joshua Coutinho (QLD) Nathan Powell (NT) |
| 2023 | Henry Yan (VIC) | Elysia Hall (NSW) Ginny Hollands (VIC) Hadi Kilman (SA) Jack O'Sullivan (TAS) Jacquelyn Richards (ACT; runner-up) Jarryd Prain (NSW) Meg Jager (QLD; runner-up) Nicole Shi (WA) Rapha Manajem (VIC; runner-up) Scott Northover (NT) Trish Hurley (ACT) William Wang (VIC) |
| 2024 | Omar Gadd (NT) | Stella Kappos (SA; runner-up) Stephanie Hare (TAS; runner-up) Dylan Murphy (VIC) Jamieson Gilders (QLD) Aaqib Merchant (VIC) Nathan Chin (NSW) Stella Wu (NSW) Cam Muratore (VIC) Kiyanosh Sahebi (NSW) Suma Iyer (ACT) Jazz Bing (WA) |
| 2025 | Peter Josip (VIC) | Josh Spyro (QLD; runner-up) Mariah Nickolas (NSW; runner-up) Charlotte Kuruc (ACT) Martin Darcey (WA) Jay Kelly (NT) Freddie Arthur (VIC) Michael Cho (NSW) Montana Papadinis (VIC) Nadun Hetti (VIC) Scott Lleonart (TAS) Nick Starkey (ACT) Jazz King (SA) |