Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s 2019 RAW Comedy National Grand Final took place on Sunday 14 April, celebrating the freshest and funniest new talent from around the country. Hosted by Nath Valvo, the Grand Final declared Fady Kassab from NSW the 2019 RAW Comedy Winner, with runners up Laura Hutchinson from WA and Suraj Kolarkar from QLD.

Taking out the national gong, Fady Kassab will be laughing all the way to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where he will compete in the So You Think You’re Funny? comedy competition.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been presenting RAW Comedy for twenty-four years with thousands of performers riding that comedy wave in sixty-nine heats across the country in 2019. State and Territory-wide events kicked off in January.

The 2019 judges were, Susan Provan – Festival Director, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sarah Dodd - Touring Producer, Soho Theatre, London, Steve Bennett  – Chortle, UK, Helen Townshend – Artist Manager, Token Artists and Dane Simpson – Comedian and writer.

Fady Kassab joins the ranks of the country’s favourite comedians including Hannah Gadsby, Ronny Chieng, Celia Pacquola, Anne Edmonds, Luke McGregor and Matt Okine, who have all been past competitors of RAW Comedy.