PITTSBURGH, PA – Arcade Comedy Theater is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Funniest of the Fringe Awards, a brand-new partnership with the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival celebrating excellence in comedy. These awards highlight standout comedic work presented during the festival, selected by Arcade’s staff based on originality, performance, production and laughs-per-minute.
The 2025 award winners are:
Outstanding Solo Comedy Production: The Final Badge – Sara Kantner
A horror-tinged, interactive clown show about a scout leader’s terrifying—and hilarious—quest to earn her final badge while possessed by a demon.
Outstanding Ensemble Comedy Production: Comedy the Gathering Presents: Spring Break 2025!
A wildly fun blend of women’s history, fierce friendship, catchy songs, and delightfully meta comedy.
Outstanding Touring Comedy Production: Guilty Pleasure: A Cumming Out Story – Amanda Melhuish
A heartfelt and hilarious solo stand up show about learning how to love yourself, literally
Honorable Mention: Wenches Sketch Comedy Club for Best Use of a Pokéball—because sometimes comedy is a battle worth winning!
Winners receive a certificate and an official Arcade Comedy Theater logo medallion to commemorate their victories (and brag about them forever). All Pittsburgh Fringe shows that self-identified as comedies were reviewed by a panel of Arcade staff, with at least two judges attending each eligible show and scoring them using a structured rubric.
“Arcade is thrilled to collaborate with the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival,” said Katie Tarara, Executive Director of Arcade Comedy Theater. “Fringe and Arcade are kindred spirits—both founded with the goal of bringing joy and elevating the voices of bold, unique artists. We’re excited to honor this year’s incredible comedy performers and look forward to even more fun in the future.”
Stay connected with inventive comedy year-round by following @PGHFringe and @ArcadeComedy on social media.
For more information, visit arcadecomedytheater.com or pittsburghfringe.org.