Who are our judges? Our judges this year will be: Stephen Armstrong Comedy Critic at The Sunday Times Lucy Lumsden BBC Commissioning Executive - Entertainment. Mina Anwar Comedy Actress Jennifer Pryor Comedy agent and writer Richard Pryor The godfather of comedy himself! When will the winner be announced? The nominees will be announced on Monday the 23rd of August. The winner will be announced at an award ceremony on Wednesday the 25st of August. Judging Criteria: Richard Pryor was famed for having the courage to never sell-out, whatever characters he was embodying, thereby reminding the audience that we are not just laughing at the weakness, selfishness, racism and arrogance of society, but ourselves as well. The Richard Pryor Award will be given to the comedian who demonstrates the funniest, most innovative routine based on their personal experiences. The comedy can reflect the fact that they are a member of an ethnic group, but most importantly they should endeavour to be progressive and original, prepared to tackle taboos, and to show fearlessness in their subject matter. How the award will be judged: Our panel of judges will view each stand-up show from filmed show recordings. They will draw up a short list of Five nominated shows which will then be sent over to Richard Pryor in America, who will view the shows and decide the winner. The Prize: To be given the nod of approval by someone who many would consider to be one of the world's greatest comedians is a huge accolade and we feel that no sum can be placed on that. In addition to being presented with the Richard Pryor Award statuette, the comedian will be presented with a £1,000 cheque from Revolver Entertainment.