The shortlist nominees for The List Festival Awards 2026 have been announced, celebrating the artists, authors, performers and creatives making an impact across Edinburgh’s summer festival season.
Returning for a third year, the awards recognise excellence across the Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Among the shortlisted productions and artists are Esther Castle, Jamie Fitzpatrick and Lee McCormack in the Edinburgh Art Festival category, while Alycia Pirmohamed, Ashley Douglas and Natalie Jayne Clark compete for Best Rising Scottish Author.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival shortlist includes Borges And Me, The Incomer and These Violent Delights, while the Edinburgh International Festival’s Best International Show nominees are A Trial – after An Enemy Of The People, Ihsane and The Galloping Cure.
Fringe categories include Best Cabaret Show, Best Comedy Show, Best Dance, Circus & Physical Theatre Show, Best Kids Show, Best LGBTQIA+ Show and Best Show From Adelaide, reflecting the breadth of work on offer across the festival.
The International Fringe Encore Series Edinburgh Prize shortlist features HAM, Big Stuff, One Man Musical and Reuben Kaye – Hard to Swallow, with winners earning the opportunity for an extended Off-Broadway run in New York through SoHo Playhouse’s annual programme.
Alongside the awards, The Stand Comedy Club, in partnership with The List Magazine and The Comedy Unit, will launch the McTavish Award, recognising the most outstanding show by a Scottish or Scottish-based act. The winner will receive £2,500, a Fringe run or tour across The Stand’s venues, and development mentoring from The Comedy Unit.
The awards ceremony takes place on Friday 28 August 2026 at W Edinburgh and will bring together artists, industry professionals and festival organisations to celebrate creativity across Edinburgh’s festivals.
Brian Donaldson, editor of The List, said: “These shortlists represent a mere sample of the incredible work being performed, screened, exhibited and spoken about all over Edinburgh this month. From an acrobatic couple to a man with a (not real) monkey sidekick, to a stand-up explaining why his dog supports a particular football team and films about strange journeys, the artistic endeavour and feats of imagination are bewildering in their scope.”
This year’s awards will also spotlight emerging creative talent through a partnership with Edinburgh College, with students from the HND Visual Communication course designing each of the award laurels.
The Full Shortlists for The List Festival Awards 2026 are:
Edinburgh Art Festival – Best Rising Scottish Artist (Supported by Set! Productions) • Abundant Parts – Esther Castle • Memorials to Sausage Politics – Jamie Fitzpatrick • A Magic Lantern – Lee McCormack
Edinburgh International Book Festival – Best Rising Scottish Author (Supported by Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Edinburgh) • Alycia Pirmohamed (Shorelines) • Ashley Douglas (With My Own Hand) • Natalie Jayne Clark (The Malt Whisky Murders)
Edinburgh International Film Festival – Best Scottish Film (Supported by Arbikie Distillery) • Borges And Me – Marc Turtletaub • The Incomer – Louis Paxton • These Violent Delights – Christopher Hampson, Oscar Sansom
Edinburgh International Festival – Best International Show (Supported by Ghost Light Global) • A Trial – after An Enemy Of The People – Christiane Jatahy • Ihsane – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui • The Galloping Cure – Opera Ventures Productions and Scottish Opera
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Cabaret Show (Supported by Big Think Agency) • Andrew Frost: Just Let Me Have This – Andrew Frost • Liberace And Liza: A Tribute – David Saffert and Jillian Snow • Sarah Hester Ross: Serving Cnt* – Sarah Hester Ross
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Comedy Show (Supported by Whyte & Mackay) • Alfie Brown: The Entertainer – Alfie Brown • Conk: Man Sings The Same Song Over And Over Again For An Hour – Conk • Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge – Elf Lyons
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Dance, Circus & Physical Theatre Show (Supported by YourScene) • Collaborator – Ockham’s Razor • EXIT – Circumstances • not for glory – Jack Anderson, Charlotte Mclean, Malin Lewis
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Kids Show (Supported by Data Thistle) • Boys Don’t Dance – Marc Brew • Float – Starcatchers • Max Fulham’s Monkey Business – Max Fulham
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best LGBTQIA+ Show (Supported by Pure Life Plus) • Turn Your Fcking Phones Off* – Hannah Maxwell • Megasquirt: Fully Loaded – Megasquirt • Big Gay Afterparty – RGB Monster
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Show From Adelaide (Supported by Adelaide Fringe) • My Grandpa Doesn’t Follow Me On Instagram – Yoz Mensch • DUST – Charlaina Thompson • Millicent Sarre Is Too Tired To Smash (Patriarchy) – Millicent Sarre
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – International Fringe Encore Series Edinburgh Prize • HAM – Hotter Project • Big Stuff – Baram and Snieckus • One Man Musical – Flo & Joan • Reuben Kaye – Hard to Swallow – Reuben Kaye
More information can be found here.
