O'Doherty wins Fringe comedy award

Edinburgh, Scotland -- Irish comedian David O'Doherty has won Britain's most prestigious comedy award for routines delivered at Scotland's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, officials say.

O'Doherty, a stand-up comic whose act was described as combining dry observations with bursts of manic storytelling, won the nearly $15,000 top prize in the Fringe Fest's Intelligent Finance Comedy Awards, The Times of London reported Monday.

"After one of the longest, most animated debates, the panel finally chose from this very strong shortlist a comedian whose work can only be summed up as utterly delightful," Nica Burns, director of the awards, told The Times.

"An hour with David O'Doherty fills the world with laughter and charm and sends you home on a wave of happiness."

The runners-up included Rhod Gilbert, Russell Kane, and the team of Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler.

The newspaper said O'Doherty also won Channel 4's "So You Think You're Funny" award for new comedians in 1999 and was a runner-up in the BBC New Comedy Awards. Previous award winners include Steve Coogan and Frank Skinner.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.