The shortlists have been revealed for The List Festival Awards, shining a light on the fantastic range of creativity and talent in Art, Book, Film, Fringe and International festivals this summer. Returning for a third year, The List Festival Awards pay tribute to the artists and creatives making a mark across Edinburgh’s festival scene.

The List Festival Awards 2026 will once again bring together artists, industry professionals and festival organisations for an afternoon celebrating the creativity and ambition that defines Edinburgh in August. Hosts W Edinburgh will welcome guests for a ceremony on Friday 28 August with a celebratory drink and canapes.

The shortlists for The List Festival Awards are as follows:

Edinburgh Art Festival - Best Rising Scottish Artist

(Supported by Set! Productions)

Esther Castle: Abundant Parts (Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop)

This newly commissioned installation by Esther Castle is an other-worldly garden which draws symbolic connections between the non-normative body and weeds, to indicate a failure of our bodies’ defence systems and the gardener’s futile attempt to control the natural world.

Jamie Fitzpatrick: Memorials to Sausage Politics (Edinburgh Printmakers)

This new exhibition explores debates around post-colonial public statuary and presents new prints and printed sculptures that reimagine monuments as comic, monstrous forms, questioning their symbolism and place within Scotland’s civic landscape.

Lee McCormack: A Magic Lantern (Craigmillar Now)

A Magic Lantern is the first solo exhibition by Niddrie photographer and former community worker Lee McCormack. Her powerful and sensitive photographs capture domestic scenes and social action between the late 1970s to early 2000s.

Edinburgh International Book Festival - Best Rising Scottish Author

(Supported by Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Edinburgh)

Alycia Pirmohamed

Poet and winner of the Nan Shepherd Prize with non-fiction debut, Alycia Pirmohamed’s Shorelines questions the legacies of migration and explores how place and identity intertwine .

Ashley Douglas

Ashley Douglas is an author and historian who uncovers the real life behind Scotland’s 16th-century Sappho, Marie Maitland, in the biographical book With My Own Hand.

Natalie Jayne Clark

The Malt Whisky Murders is set in the first women-owned distillery in Scotland battling against protest, scandal… and two perfectly preserved bodies. This darkly comic novel is written by poet, writer, and whisky ambassador Natalie Jayne Clark. 

Edinburgh International Film Festival - Best Scottish Film

(Supported by Arbikie Distillery)

Borges And Me (Marc Turtletaub)

This gorgeously shot and superbly acted film from director Marc Turtletaub evokes memory, time and place with a remarkably vivid and clear-eyed candour.

The Incomer (Louis Paxton)

Crammed with intriguingly strange characters and performed with aplomb by a wonderful cast, this terrific debut from director Louis Paxton fuses surreal humour, warmth and pathos.

These Violent Delights (Christopher Hampson, Oscar Sansom)

Scottish Ballet’s intoxicating, beautifully realised retelling of the classic Shakespeare tragedy, Romeo & Juliet, combines stunning choreography, gorgeous costuming and fluid cinematography.

Edinburgh International Festival - Best International Show

(Supported by Ghost Light Global)

A Trial - after An Enemy Of The People (Christiane Jatahy)

Transplanting Ibsen’s themes to contemporary Brazil,  A Trial - after An Enemy of the People offers a sharp look at authoritarianism, fake news and public judgement. Ever inventive and deeply political, Christiane Jatahy combines audience participation and filmed footage, creating a one-of-a-kind performance

Ihsane (Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui)

Award-winning choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s latest work explores how the world changes in a never-ending cycle of destruction and rebirth. Ihsane swells with anger, lingers in sorrow, and joyfully celebrates the rich cultures of North Africa and the Middle East.

The Galloping Cure (Opera Ventures Productions and Scottish Opera)

The Galloping Cure is a haunting allegory for a crisis that has become a worldwide epidemic. Visually stunning and emotionally gripping, this contemporary fable evokes a darkly funny and devastating vision of a crumbling society. 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Cabaret Show

(Supported by Big Think Agency)

Andrew Frost: Just Let Me Have This (Andrew Frost)

Acclaimed contemporary magician Andrew Frost presents his new show where you can expect card tricks, laughs, emotional manipulation and lying from a ‘34 year old man with bionic eyes and a 45 year old son’.

Liberace And Liza: A Tribute (David Saffert and Jillian Snow)

Winners of Best Show 2026 at Brighton Fringe and a 5* at The Offie Awards in London, Liberace and Liza - A Tribute brings together two of entertainment's most flamboyant legends in one hilarious show. 

Sarah Hester Ross: Serving C*nt (Sarah Hester Ross)

International touring cabaret artist Sarah Hester Ross brings her viral songs and razor-sharp humour to a one-woman show packed with powerhouse vocals and cabaret chaos. 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Comedy Show

(Supported by Whyte & Mackay)

Alfie Brown: The Entertainer (Alfie Brown)

Written and performed by Alfie Brown, his brand-new show follows the stand-up comic trying to navigate a crisis and find meaning in life and stand-up comedy. 

Man Sings The Same Song Over And Over Again For An Hour (Conk)

Award-winning comedian Conk spends an hour singing the same song on repeat, turning a simple musical premise from a live experiment into a hilarious feat of absurdity.

Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge (Elf Lyons)

Sky Arts Award-winning comedian Elf Lyons presents an autobiographical and observational stand-up show about love, inspired by Vertigo, Apollo 13 and the opera Pagliacci.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Dance, Circus & Physical Theatre Show

(Supported by YourScene)

Collaborator (Ockham’s Razor)

Ockham’s Razor return with an intimate duet crafted and performed by Artistic Directors Alex and Charlotte, in an irreverent, highly physical and heartfelt exploration of the negotiation involved in making something: a decision, a work of art, a life.

EXIT (Circumstances)

Choreographer Piet Van Dycke blends circus and dance into a thrilling physical performance where movement, partner acrobatics and balance form one shared language. With backgrounds in bascule, aerial belts, trapeze and acro-dance, the performers create a dynamic interplay of trust, risk and transformation.

not for glory (Jack Anderson, Charlotte Mclean, Malin Lewis)

not for glory is a restless, relentless, rebellious unravelling of traditional dance and music. Featuring kilts, queerness and ceremonial violence, this dance-theatre gig balancing virtuosity with vulnerability, pride with shame.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best Kids Show

(Supported by Data Thistle)

Boys Don't Dance (Marc Brew)

Boys Don't Dance is a poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled artist Marc Brew, reflecting on his lifelong journey defying societal expectations to embrace his love for dance. Combining movement with BMX and wheels, storytelling, and an uplifting 80s soundtrack – Boys Don’t Dance creates an immersive experience for audiences.

Float (Starcatchers)

Float is a beautiful, calm, immersive world designed especially for babies from birth to 12 months old and their grown-ups. Float invites audiences to relax and enjoy a gently interactive performance inspired by the healing powers of water.

Max Fulham's Monkey Business (Max Fulham)

Max Fulham brings his family comedy show to the Fringe for the first time, joined by his sidekick Gordon the Monkey and a cast of puppet friends. The show features sketches, slapstick and plenty of nonsense, drawing on Max’s years of performing family comedy.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Best LGBTQIA+ Show

(Supported by Pure Life Plus)

Turn Your F*cking Phones Off (Hannah Maxwell)

This timely and ambitious theatre piece about human connection in the digital age by award-winning theatre maker Hannah Maxwell  explores how technology and the information age affect the way we connect with each other.

Megasquirt: Fully Loaded  (Megasquirt)

Megasquirt, an experimental comedy music project from Brooklyn, is an unhinged hybrid concert/sketch show promising a high-octane flood of gay brain rot set to a sickening beat.

Big Gay Afterparty (RGB Monster)

Queer, chic and outrageous: Aidan Sadler promises the gayest party at the Fringe with this award-winning show that dares you to indulge in Edinburgh’s hottest pop-up cabaret experience.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Best Show From Adelaide

(Supported by Adelaide Fringe)

My Grandpa Doesn’t Follow Me On Instagram (Yoz Mensch)

Multi award-winning Aussie storyteller Yoz Mensch returns with her autobiographical one-woman show: a vivid pilgrimage through familial grief to queer joy. 

DUST (Charlaina Thompson)

This true story is dedicated to the servicemen who fought for their country, the seven men who tragically died in the Lofthouse Colliery disaster of 1973, and every miner who lived their lives in darkness so we could live in the light. 

Millicent Sarre Is Too Tired To Smash (Patriarchy) (Millicent Sarre)

This fresh musical comedy promises an antidote to our collective weariness with original music, powerhouse vocals and poignant social commentary

Edinburgh Festival Fringe – International Fringe Encore Series Edinburgh Prize

HAM (Hotter Project(

HAM is a kinky eco-hijacking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet about meat, madness and the power of shame. 

Big Stuff (Baram and Snieckus)

Acclaimed Canadian Second City comedy duo Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus bring their signature blend of storytelling and improvisation to a hilarious, heartfelt exploration of the things we leave behind. 

One Man Musical (Flo & Joan(

Flo & Joan's award-winning Edinburgh Fringe smash-hit returns. Watch as an icon of the musical theatre world finally turns the spotlight onto the one story he’s yet to tell: his own.

Reuben Kaye - Hard to Swallow (Reuben Kaye)

Reuben Kaye delivers a sharp, sexy and political show, blending glitter, fearless comedy and biting social commentary.

McTavish Award 

The Stand Comedy Club in partnership with The List Magazine and The Comedy Unit are launching the McTavish Award, which recognises the most outstanding show by a Scottish or Scottish-based act. The prize is sponsored by W Edinburgh and will include £2.5k, a Fringe run or tour in The Stand’s venues in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, plus development mentoring with The Comedy Unit for TV or radio. The shortlist for The Stand’s McTavish Award will be announced on Thursday 27 August on their social media channels (@standcomedyclub).

This year’s awards will also spotlight emerging creative talent through a partnership with Edinburgh College. Students from the HND Visual Communication course have individually designed each laurel, giving local designers the opportunity to contribute directly to one of the festival season’s major industry celebrations. The HND Visual Communication course, specialising in graphic design, is an award-winning studio-based programme offering students opportunities to work at the forefront of contemporary design practice through industry engagement and live creative briefs.

Brian Donaldson, editor of The List, comments: ‘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.’

The List Festival Awards, W Hotel, Friday 28 August. 

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