The Barry Award is an annual prize presented to the most outstanding comedy act at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...

. It has been awarded since 1998, when it was introduced as the Stella Award, and was renamed in 2000 in honour of Barry Humphries

Barry Humphries

John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...

, one of the festival's founding patrons. The Barry is generally regarded as the most prestigious award of the festival, and the winner receives a trophy and cash
prize.

Winners

• 1998: Linda Haggar and Fahey Younger – Miss Itchy's Crème De Menthe Breakfast Show (Australia)
• 1999: Sue-Ann Post
  Sue-Ann Post
  Sue-Ann Post is an Australian comedienne and writer.Self described as "Australia’s favourite six foot, lesbian, ex-Mormon, diabetic, comedian and writer", Post has performed as a stand up comedian internationally and throughout Australia since 1991.She has written an autobiography A Bit of a...
  
   - G Strings and Jockstraps (Australia)
• 2000: The Boosh - Arctic Boosh (UK)
• 2001: Brian Munich - Brian Munich & Friends (Australia)
• 2002: Ross Noble
  Ross Noble
  Ross Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
  
    (UK)
• 2003: Mike Wilmot
  Mike Wilmot
  Mike Wilmot is a Canadian stand-up comedian. In 2005 he won two Canadian Comedy Awards for best male stand-up and best actor for his work in It's All Gone Pete Tong....
  
    (Canada)
• 2004: Maria Bamford
  Maria Bamford
  Maria Bamford is an American stand-up comedian and voice actor. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy involving jokes about depression. Her comedy style draws upon surrealism and incorporates voice impressions that good-naturedly mock various...
  
    (USA)
• 2005: The Drowsy Drivers - Keating! The Opera
  Keating!
  Keating! is a musical theatre production which portrays the political career of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating. Keating was Prime Minister between 1991 to 1996; the musical follows him from his ascendancy to the leadership through to his eventual electoral defeat by John Howard...
  
  (Australia)
• 2006: Demetri Martin
  Demetri Martin
  Demetri Martin is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.- Early life :Demetri Martin was born to a Greek...
  
   - Dr Earnest Parrot Presents Demetri Martin (USA)
• 2007: Daniel Kitson
  Daniel Kitson
  Daniel Kitson is an English stand-up comedian.-Career:Born to a lecturer father and primary school head teacher mother, Kitson began performing comedy at the age of 16. He was a pupil at Scissett Middle School and Shelley College in Yorkshire, England...
  
   - It's the Fireworks Talking (UK)
• 2008: Nina Conti
  Nina Conti
  Nina Conti is a British actress, comedian and ventriloquist. Her on-stage puppet sidekick is a depressed monkey named Monk.- Early life :...
  
   - Complete and Utter Conti (UK) and Kristen Schaal
  Kristen Schaal
  Kristen Schaal is an American actress, writer and comedienne, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, as Louise in Bob's Burgers and as a contributor on The Daily Show.-Early life:...
  
   - As You Have Probably Never Seen Her Before (USA) (Shared)
• 2009: The Pajama Men
  The Pajama Men
  The Pajama Men are Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez, an American comedy duo from Albuquerque, New Mexico. They have won numerous awards including the prestigious Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2009 and Best Newcomer and Best of the Fest at The Sydney Comedy Festival in...
  
   - Versus vs Versus (USA)
• 2010: Sammy J
  Sammy J
  Sam McMillan is an Australian musical comedian and writer who performs under the stage name Sammy J. He embraces a variety of media in his comedy, including the use of video and self-composed music. He has released three CD compilations of his comic songs, "The Burden of Popularity", "Sammy J -...
  
   and Randy (Heath McIvor) - Ricketts Lane (Australia)
• 2011: Russell Kane
  Russell Kane
  Russell Kane is an English writer, comedian, actor and media personality. In June 2006, he became the face of digital station Five US. He has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, winning the main prize in August 2010...
  
  - Smokescreens and Castles (UK)

External links

• Official MICF Awards Page