IN the winter of 1990, some bright spark thought: “Let’s have an annual celebration of British and international comedy.” It was a good idea, though the big-screen mirthmakers that year weren’t much to write home about. Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a crimebusting nanny in Kindergarten Cop, and Eric Idle’s Nuns on the Run were not destined for timeless classic status.

Thankfully, British TV comedy was in rude health with the likes of One Foot in the Grave, Have I Got News For You and The Mary Whitehouse Experience.

Gongs at that inaugural bash were given out to Drop the Dead Donkey (best new TV comedy); Roy Hudd landed a Lifetime Achievement award for radio, and Ronnie Barker took home a Lifetime Achievement plaudit.

The show became part of the annual showbiz calendar. Barring a year off in 2008, host Jonathan Ross has been with the show since 1991. Now he returns for another back-slapping British Comedy Awards ceremony as the industry gathers to honour the best comedy actors, actresses, entertainment personalities and newcomers, along with the pick of the year’s TV and film comedies.

Last year, Twenty Twelve won best sitcom, while best comedy panel show went to the now-defunct Shooting Stars. Miranda Hart and Spy’s Darren Boyd were recognised for their small-screen performances, while Lee Evans received the Channel 4 award for special contribution to comedy.

Who’ll take home the coveted prizes tonight? That remains to be seen, but some say Spy’s Robert Lindsay should pick up a gong at for series two of that show. “It’s a fantastic company of people and Darren’s (Boyd) such a great leading man as well; we all love Darren. He’s so inventive. I can’t think of a happier time,” he says.

The funny thing about great comedy, as he knows only too well, is that it lasts forever. While in Monaco working on a film, memories of classic 1970s sitcom Citizen Smith came back to haunt him.

“Two of the French actors came up to me and said ‘Power to the people!’, which I was terribly flattered by,” he says.

One man who knows more about the art of comedy writing than most of today’s nominees put together is writer Barry Cryer, who’s been making people laugh for half a century. What advice would he offer to someone wanting to write comedy? “You’ll get knocked back when you start, but keep coming back,” he explains.

“Be bloody minded. We all had it to start with and it will happen. So don’t kid yourself that it will all be wonderful, but the good ones survive.”