Taking queer comedy from the fringes to the forefront

The finalists at the Comedy Bloomers LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year award

Comedy Bloomers has been steadily establishing itself as one of the UK’s leading platforms for LGBTQ+ voices. Its 2025 LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition was its biggest to date – drawing in over 100 diverse comedians from across the country. The competition culminated in a glitzy final at the Clapham Grand, where over 500 attendees enjoyed a night of hilarious comedy and bold, boundary-pushing performances.

Our PR campaign spotlighted the inspirational personalities behind the punchlines - from Kuan-Wen Huang’s first-person Londonist feature, London’s Queer Comedy Scene Is Booming, which positioned the movement as a cultural shift; to Zoe Lyons’ Diva interview on the rise of queer and trans comedy; Sydney May’s powerful Metro profile on her experience as a blind comedian and the importance of representation; and James Barr’s Pink News interview on how queer comedy can punch up. Consistent coverage in British Comedy Guide , Beyond the Joke, Chortle, and Secret London further cemented the competition’s credibility within comedy circles.

Brighton-based comedian Sydney May, who took home this year's prize

The result was a clear narrative shift that supported Comedy Bloomers ambitions in emerging from the underground to become a mainstream brand in comedy and entertainment. The competition and its comedians gained broader exposure, audiences grew and LGBTQ+ comedy continued to gain the recognition it deserves as a vital pulse of London’s wider cultural scene.