American wins U.K.'s comedy award

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- New Yorker Demetri Martin, who gave up law school to pursue comedy, has won United Kingdom's most prestigious comedy award, BBC reported Sunday.

Martin, a Greek-American Yale graduate, won the 23rd Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in Scotland, defeating New Zealand duo Flight of the Conchords, Australian Adam Hills, fellow American Reginald D. Hunter and lone Briton Howard Read.

Nica Burns, director of the Perrier Comedy Award, described it as "a breathtaking win" for Martin on his first visit to the United Kingdom.