As she celebrates another year leading the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Nica Burns, CBE, announced at the annual Movers and Shakers lunch in Edinburgh that Emma Brünjes is stepping up to become Executive Director.
Nica explained to invited guests the history of the awards which have grown into the Oscars of comedy. Sponsors have come and gone, but Nica has carried on leading and at times sponsoring the awards over the years.
This is where the comedy stars of the future shine, and as the awards approach their 50th anniversary it is considered time for a management reorganisation. Emma has been Producer of the Awards for 16 years and involved in comedy for 20 years. Nica said she is the perfect person to work with in the next iteration.
Longstanding Edinburgh Comedy Awards Producer Laurence Miller, who has been a crucial part of the team from 1991 to 2025, will now take on the role of Awards Producer Emeritus, with many thanks for his decades of invaluable support and dedication to British comedy’s most prestigious accolade.
Nica Burns, CBE, Awards Director of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, said: “Looking ahead to the 50th Edinburgh Comedy Awards, only four years away in 2030, made me think about what the Awards would look like at 75 and then 100 years. As I realised I might not be at the 75th anniversary, I needed to put a long-term leadership plan in place with a leader who would be as passionate and committed to the Awards as I am. Someone highly respected throughout the comedy community, well liked, creative and thorough, a great judge of talent and an excellent, all round producer. Step forward our new Executive Director Emma Brünjes. Emma has all the skills and talent, started her comedy career in 2003 and joined the ECA team in 2010. She knows exactly what she is doing and will be brilliant. Thank goodness, she said, Yes!”
Emma Brünjes, Executive Director of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, said: “Working alongside Nica for the past sixteen years and witnessing her fierce commitment to live comedy and the next generation of talent has been an extraordinary education. Accepting the baton from her is both a huge honour and a tremendous responsibility. My role is to protect that legacy, nurture it and help ensure these remarkable Awards continue to discover and spotlight exceptional new talent for many years to come.”
Nica began as a young actress using her own life savings of £600. One good review meant that she ended the run with a profit of £48 shared with director Colin Watkeys. Working at the Donmar Warehouse as Artistic Director and then taking over the Edinburgh Comedy Awards from 1984, she has enjoyed a long career. In 2005 she founded Nimax Theatres with business partner Max Weitzenhoffer. They own and run the Palace, Lyric, Apollo, Garrick, Vaudeville and Duchess Theatres in the heart of London’s West End.
She is producer of more than 100 award winning shows.
Emma Brünjes is an independent producer and has been the Producer of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards since 2010. Emma founded entertainment company ebp in 2013 and has since produced and general managed more than 100 productions across comedy, theatre and live entertainment in the UK and internationally. Her work spans the West End, major UK tours, immersive theatre, international productions and live entertainment experiences, including Alice’s Adventures Underground, Taskmaster: The Live Experience, CBeebies Rainbow Adventure, Dinner at the Twits, Dead Funny, Emily Atack: Talk Thirty To Me, Nina Conti: In Your Face and numerous productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She is a member of the Society of London Theatre, founder of the Imogen Kinchin Fellowship and a Trustee of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
