AWARDS
Our awards recognise creators who are bold, independent and challenge the status quo. We look for authentic performers with integrity who have the courage to stand by their vision. Meaningful art doesn’t just entertain, it reminds us that difference is something to celebrate.
OUR WINNERS
Frankie McNair wins the 2026 Uprise Award for Huge Ass Mindset
Open to comedy and theatre shows at Edinburgh Fringe, and now in its second year, The Uprise Award celebrates artistic works that have something to say – and get people talking.
Frankie McNair's show Huge Ass Mindset, performing at Gilded Balloon, was chosen as the winner. The show is both a love letter to comedy and proof of a survivor’s resilience after a lifetime of anxiety, complex PTSD and low self-esteem.
Part of the criteria for the award is to ask, ‘Who is the show sticking up for, and who is it sticking it to?’. In Huge Ass Mindset, McNair, with cutting-edge humour, uplifts victims of abuse and sticks it to the perpetrators who try to weaponise shame.
On receiving the award, Frankie McNair said: “I’m really grateful for this award and I hope it can encourage conversations around being a survivor without them being based in shame or fear. Say it loud and proud and with your whole ass!”
The 2026 shortlist comprised of:
Sami Abu Wardeh Hates You, Pleasance Theatre, until 30 Aug
Milo Edwards: Catamaran, Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 30 Aug
Tamsyn Kelly: Rat’s Ass, Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 30 Aug
Frankie McNair: Huge Ass Mindset, Gilded Balloon, until 30 Aug