James Acaster Takes Out Melbourne International Comedy Festival Awards’ Top Gong

British comedian James Acaster – who you'd recognise from all the British panel shows, as well as his Repertoire of four stand-up shows dropped on Netflix last year – has taken out the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award for the most outstanding show at this year's festival, for Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999. 

Speaking to The Music earlier this year, Acaster described the show as a distinct from his last three outings to Australia, as he's "telling the truth in this one".

"It's about the worst year of my life, 2017. It's an honest show for once – I'm just telling the truth in this one and personal stories from my own life, and yeah, it's a bit more closer to just who I am. It is just who I am, it's just me not trying to be different, but I felt like telling true stories, so that's what I'm doing this time 'round." 

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He beat out fellow Briton Tom Allen as well as Australian comics Anne Edmonds, Geraldine Hickey, Cassie Workman and Nath Valvo to claim the top prize, formerly known as the Barry. 

The Best Newcomer Award for performers doing their first MICF show went to Blake Freeman for There's Something There, over Nina Oyama, former The Music arts writer Oliver Coleman, and Dan Rath. 

Urzila Carlson won the publicly voted People's Choice for Loser, while Aaron Chen's piss off (just kidding) won Director's Choice. 

Comic's choice, the Piece Of Wood Award went to Geraldine Hickey, who was also up for the MICF Award, for Things Are Going Well, while the Golden Gibbo for the best independent, artistic show went to Joshua Ladgrove, for Neal Portenza Is Joshua Ladgrove. 

The previously announced winners of the Pinder Prize, supporting two Aussie comics to make their Edinburgh Fringe debut this year, were Sam Taunton and Steph Tisdell.   

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award was formerly known as the Barry, after Barry Humphries, but this week the festival dropped the moniker, following repeated transphobic slurs from the Aussie comic. 

MICF Director Susan Provan told The Music on Tuesday: "Removing gender from the award name is appropriate now – not least to acknowledge that one third of all past recipients are women.

"As one of Victoria’s major events and one of the world’s greatest comedy festivals, it is time for award for most outstanding show to be in our name.

"The award is not tied to any one person to best celebrate and focus on the outstanding artists who make up Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The award name celebrates Melbourne as the city that inspired the growth of our Festival."