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Quotes about the Tap Water Awards

"Boycott Nestlé!"
Steve Coogan (Perrier Award Winner 1992)

"The Perrier Awards should be boycotted by all right-thinking people, because Nestlé has got to be stopped."
Emma Thompson (Comedian & Actress, winner of the inaugural Perrier Award 1981)

"I believe that the Tap Water Awards provide a vibrant alternative to the more commercial aims of the Perrier Prize. They are nurturing comedy talent for the future in a less competitive format, as well as drawing attention to important issues of globalisation and consumer choice."
Mark Wilson (Deputy Arts Editor - The Independent) was on the panel for the Perrier Awards in 2000.

"Comedians can manage without the Perrier Award, and the world should be able to manage without Perrier. I support the boycott."
Victoria Wood

"Perrier has hijacked the comedians talents, and is riding on their backs. Comedians can be very critical of themselves and self-aware but can't always recognise their full value. It would be great if comedians took that step and said 'actually we are being used to endorse a brand where the parent company has got huge question marks over its ethical behaviour and we're not going to play."
Mark Thomas (nominated for a Perrier award - 1992)

"I’ve been supporting the Nestle Boycott for years due to the company's irresponsible marketing of baby food. This has brought about children being deprived of the early natural immunisation that breast mild provides. The use of contaminated water is another issue in rural areas and a final twist is that by using Nestle milk the baby becomes hooked onto something which costs money. Nestel owns 8,5000 brands and Perrier, unbeknownst to most people is one of them. I hope that up and coming comedians will think about these issues and consider joining the Nestle boycott by declining to support the Perrier awards, and would be participants could enter for the Tap Water Awards which will hurt no-one in the process of making them laugh."
Julie Christie

"I don’t think it would make a difference to mothers in Africa if whether there was a Perrier Award or not."
Rich Hall (Perrier Award Winner 2000)

"To me the Tap Water Awards are what the Fringe should be about - a celebration of artistic creativity and original performances, not expensive, over-hyped, corporate career-mongering. The Perrier Awards now symbolise the corporate fringe - dominated by big players and sponsored by some fairly dodgy corporations. Nestlé can't be allowed to laugh off their appalling record in the third world by sponsoring a comedy award. That's why, as a representative of the people of Edinburgh I'm pleased be involved with this year's Tap Water Awards."
Mark Ballard (Green MSP)