Launched in 1981, the Edinburgh Comedy Award is presented to the comedy show judged to have been the best at the city’s Festival Fringe and is widely recognised as the most prestigious comedy prize in the UK.
Most famously known as the Perrier Award, over the years it’s also been known as the if.comedy awards and the if.comeddies, and this year it’s celebrating its 45th birthday.
Originally it was just a single prize for the best show, but a Best Newcomer category was added in 1992, followed by a Panel Prize (now the Victoria Wood Award) four years later - for acts who have made a special contribution to the Fringe Festival.
Last year the main prize was won by Amy Gledhill, while Joe Kent-Walters took home the prize for Best Newcomer for his monstrous comic creation Frankie Monroe.
Meanwhile, the Panel Prize went to A Show for Rob Copeland - whose free show at the Banshee Labyrinth saw some of the biggest queues of the Fringe.
And this year’s comedy champions will be crowned on Saturday, August 23.
They will join a list of winners that includes some of the most biggest names in comedy.
Here are the 14 most famous winners in the award’s history.
5. Dylan Moran
Irish comedian Dylan Moran, who now lives in Edinbrugh, won the award in 1996 and went on to star in classic comedy 'Black Books' as the titular Bernard Black. | Getty Images
6. The League Of Gentlemen
Sketch group The League of Gentlemen were triumphant in 1997. They went on to star in their own critically-acclaimed television series, film and stage shows. Since then Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson have dominated the world of British television, responsible for a string of hit shows, from 'Psychoville' and 'Inside Number 9' to 'Doctor Who' and 'Sherlock'. | Getty Images
7. Al Murray
Al Murray's Pub Landlord character is a true British comedy great, but he was nominated for the award four times before eventually winning in 1999. | Getty Images
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8. Tim Key
This year saw 2009 winner Tim Key co-write and star in hit film 'The Ballad Of Wallis Island' after previously earning plaudits for his role as Sidekick Simon in various Alan Patridge TV shows and films alongside fellow comedy champ Steve Coogan. He's also set to star in new American comedy 'The Paper' and continues to write poetry and tour acclaimed live shows. | Getty Images