By Ian MacKenzie

EDINBURGH (Reuters Life!) - New York producer John Clancy received the first Edinburgh International Festival award on Friday as the prestigious arts gala extended a friendly hand to the city's anarchic Fringe festival.

International Festival director Jonathan Mills said the award was made in recognition of Clancy's "contribution to the Fringe over many years".

The tumultuous Fringe runs parallel to the more staid International Festival each year, and this is the first time the arts festival under its new Australian director has recognised the Fringe with an award for its contribution to the annual Edinburgh extravaganza.

The international festival, fringe, and book, film and jazz festivals through August combine to make up the world's biggest event of its kind.

Clancy was one of the founders of the New York Fringe festival in 1997, along with Aaron Beall, Jonathan Harris and Elena Holy. The FringeNYC now is one of the largest multi-arts festivals in North America, with around 200 shows over two weeks each August.

This year, Clancy had a production of Fatboy at the Edinburgh Fringe, a satire first shown in the Scottish capital in 2004. Fatboy represents the United States and the production satirises America in the wider world.

The award announcement described it as "a brutal comedy, a live action Punch and Judy show, and a funhouse mirror reflecting the world".

The award, funded by long-time festival supporter Ewan Brown, provides 5,000 pounds ($10,100) to develop a new project and an invitation to present the work-in-progress as part of the International Festival's new Behind the Scenes programme next year.

Clancy was not in Edinburgh for the announcement, but said John Clancy Productions were proud to receive the first such award.

"And we really, really need the money, so thanks for that," he added in a statement.

Fringe Festival director Jon Morgan, also new this year, said the award "is an important recognition of the creative synergy between the Fringe and the International Festival"

The Edinburgh International Festival started in 1947 as an act of faith in the dark days of austerity following World War Two. The Fringe started the same year when a handful of companies showed up uninvited.

The Fringe, which has been a proving ground for some of Britain's top actors and comedians over the years, hosted a record of more than 2,000 events this year.