Every year the prestigious Just For Laughs comedy festival celebrates the leading talent in the comedy industry with a big ceremony with a star-studded red carpet that is essentially the closest thing comedy has to an Oscars night. This year’s winners will be honored at an event in Montreal on Friday, July 28th at 3pm.
Leading the awards list, Daily Show host and international stand-up Trevor Noah has been named Comedy Person of the Year, an honor given to Aziz Ansari in 2016. It’s been a turnaround year for Noah whose ratings are at a peak since first taking over the Daily Show.
Jim Carrey will be given the Generation Award, which was created in 2015 to honor Dave Chappelle. This year, Carrey’s big contribution to comedy has been as EP on Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here, which is based on Carrey’s and others’ experiences getting started in comedy in Los Angeles in the 70’s. I’m Dying Up Here will have a big presence at the festival this year with panel discussions, stand up, and much more.
Mike Birbiglia is being named Stand-Up Comedian of the Year this year (last year, it was Sebastian Maniscalco) and Breakout Comedian of the Year goes to Ali Wong after her debut hour special Baby Cobra was the talk of the year in 2016, and her new hour, she’s been touring this year, is getting major buzz. She follows Maria Bamford in receiving that award.
Also being honored- Craig Ferguson will be honored with an Alumni tribute, and Kenya Barris is 2017’s Comedy Writer of the Year.
All six will be present to receive their awards at the awards show on Friday, July 28 at 3:00 pm, Grand Salon Opera, Hyatt Regency Montreal.
The Just For Laughs Festival runs from July 12 to 31st, 2017 in Montreal, Canada. Just For Laughs ComedyPRO runs from July 26-29, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Montreal, Canada.
By theinterrobang.com
