Comedian Andrew Maxwell famously once called the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ‘exams for clowns’, and each year it’s the comics with the best jokes who get the ‘A’ grades.
The Edinburgh Comedy Award (formerly the Perrier Award) is handed out each year to the top clown in the class, and since 2008 was joined by The Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award.
Presented by television channel Dave, each year a shortlist of 10-15 jokes was drawn up by some of the leading comedy critics and comedians in the UK.
Designed to celebrate “the art of joke writing” and making people laugh, the general public then voted for the eventual winner.
But it was scrapped last year, with the TV station behind the gong saying it was “resting” and there is no news at to whether it will be reinstated any time soon.
Here we’re revisiting the 16 jokes that have made the grade since the prize was established.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.
9. 2015: Darren Walsh
"I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It's Hans free." | Contributed
10. 2014: Tim Vine
"I've decided to sell my Hoover – well, it was just collecting dust." | Getty Images
11. 2013: Rob Auton
"I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa." | Contributed
12. 2012: Stewart Francis
"You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks." | Contributed