A very basic
History of the BCF
A lot of it is foggy.
2024
Anjelica Scannura
2024 Winner
Anjelica Scannura is a comic and producer. She did a TV-taping at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival ‘22, and has been featured on SiriusXM and CBC’s Laugh Out Loud multiple times. She’s opened for Colin Mochrie, Krystyna Hutchinson, Shane Gillis, Stavros Halkias, Aparna Nancherla and Joe List. She appeared at the Limestone Comedy Festival ‘23, 10000 Laughs ‘23, Edmonton Comedy Festival ‘23 and Just For Laughs Toronto ‘23, where she recorded for JFL Originals (EP drops on all platforms on January 15th). She also did streeter content for JFL Toronto's Instagram. Anjelica performed at prestigious Massey Hall on New Year’s Eve and will be hosting for Rachel Feinstein at West End Comedy Festival ‘24.
Casey Crawford
2024 Winner
Casey Crawford is an absurdist comedian from South Dakota now living in Boston. He tells sharp, killer one-liners about his life and travels. He’s been featured on, Just For Laughs, Kevin Hart’s LOL network, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
TONY V - ComedY ICON AWARD
Tony V started doing stand-up comedy in 1982, Tony has made several highly acclaimed appearances in Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd w/ Colin Quinn, and several sit-coms including Seinfeld, Boston Common, The Single Guy and Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.
2024 Honorees
Michael Gross - Lifetime Achievement in TV
During his fifty-year career, Michael is perhaps best known for his portrayal of father Steven Keaton on NBC’s award-winning Family Ties. Among his big screen appearances, Michael enjoys cult status among sci-fi and horror fans for his portrayal of survivalist ‘Burt Gummer’ in the 1990 feature film Tremors, its Sci-Fi Channel series, and six sequels. He was recently featured at the 2024 Santa Barbara Film Festival, playing father to actress Heather Graham in her new film, Chosen Family. This night promises to be a rollercoaster of humor, showcasing diverse comedic styles that will leave you in stitches.
Adam Ferrara - Comedian of The Year
Adam Ferrara the Actor/Comedian/Host who Entertainment Weekly dubbed “Hilarious.” For six seasons Adam co-hosted the critically acclaimed BBC sensation, Top Gear US. He proudly played Chief Needles Nelson on the Emmy nominated FX drama Rescue Me. Adam co-starred with Emmy Award winner Edie Falco on Showtime’s hit series Nurse Jackie. He has also co-starred alongside Kevin James in the hit movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Definitely Maybe with Ryan Reynolds.
2023
Brian Kiley- Lifetime Achievement Winner
Brian has appeared several times on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O'Brien”. Brian was a staff writer for Conan O'Brien for 27 years. In that time, he won a Emmy Award for Writing in a Comedy/Variety Series in 2007 and was nominated sixteen times. He was a staff writer on the final season of "Ellen" and won a Daytime Emmy in 2022. Much to his surprise, he was even featured in the New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle. (He has never completed said puzzle.) He has had a recurring role on the Cartoon Network's "Delocated" and has been on "The Bonnie Hunt Show", “Comedy Central Presents”, “Dr. Katz Professional Therapist”, “The CBS Morning Show”, “Spotlight Café”, “Caroline's Comedy Hour”, “Comedy On The Road”, the Showtime Comedy Club network, the TBS Conan writer's special and “An Evening at the Improv”.
Topper Carew - Lifetime Achievement in TV
American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for such films as Talkin' Dirty After Dark and D.C. Cab. He is also the creator of the television series as Martin.
JOE LIST - Comedian of The Year
JOE LIST is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor whose movie FOURTH OF JULY (directed by Louis CK) played in theatres all over North America and is currently available on louisck.com. Joe’s latest 1-hour special, THIS YEAR’S MATERIAL, premiered on his YouTube page in April and has over 2 million views. His previous special, I HATE MYSELF, was released by Comedy Central in 2020 and currently has over 9 million views.
Joe has performed on THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON, and has appeared multiple times on CONAN. He was a finalist on NBC’s LAST COMIC STANDING, has his own half-hour special on Comedy Central, and also stars in season 2 of Netflix’s THE STAND UPS. His albums ‘So Far No Good’ and ‘Are You Mad at Me?’ (through Comedy Central Records) can be heard all the time on Sirius Radio.
Joe is the co-host of the popular weekly podcast ‘Tuesdays with Stories’ with Mark Normand and he hosts his own podcast MINDFUL METAL JACKET. He can be seen regularly at the Comedy Cellar in New York City.
Learnmore Jonasi
2023 Winner
Tony V started doing stand-up comedy in 1982, Tony has made several highly acclaimed appearances in Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd w/ Colin Quinn, and several sit-coms including Seinfeld, Boston Common, The Single Guy and Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.
2021
The Year we all got Covid
Billy West - Lifetime Achievement Winner
Billy West has been a cornerstone of the voice acting world for decades, bringing beloved characters like Stimpy, Bugs Bunny, Philip J. Fry, and Professor Hubert Farnsworth to life. Known for his versatility and unmatched talent, he has left an indelible mark on the animation industry. Despite a challenging childhood marked by an abusive father, West found solace in comedy and discovered his passion for voice acting. Though not a Hollywood star, his ability to breathe personality into his characters has earned him the admiration of fans and the title of "voice guru."
ORNY ADAMS - Comedian of the Year
Orny Adams delivers a powerful, incisive stand up routine that vacillates between the relevant and the absurd. Orny attacks what’s wrong with the world and sometimes even what’s wrong with Orny. He’s brutally honest, satirical and his performance is ceaselessly energetic. Orny has had one hour stand up specials on Netflix, Comedy Central and his third special “More Than Loud” debuts in December on Showtime. Orny has appeared all over television, most notably on The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman and The Conan O’Brien Show. And you might also recognize him as Coach from the TV show Teen Wolf which ran for six seasons.
TRIXX - 2021 Winner
Taboo shattering, searingly honest, and painfully funny, Frankie “TRIXX” Agyemang is one of North America’s rising comedic stars. Trixx is the 2021 winner of the Boston Comedy Festival, the 2018 Winner of the World Series of Comedy, also 2013 Winner of Just for Laughs’ JFL42 Big Break Competition. He’s been featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, Sirius XM Radio and has opened for such stars as: Tracy Morgan, Damon Wayans, Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Ryan Hamilton and Sugar Sammy.
Trixx has developed a cult following with his no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners brand of comedy. Mixing boisterous commentary on topics like pop culture, relationships, music, clubbing, and sex, with acute insights on being black in North America, Trixx’s streetwise, boundary-pushing humour is unafraid of taking on everyone and everything in his sights.
2020 - we went Virtual
LIZ GLAZER- 2020 Winner
Liz Glazer is an award-winning stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. She won first place at the Boston Comedy Festival and the Ladies of Laughter Competition, and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Above the Law, and other publications. Liz has opened for Myq Kaplan and Maria Bamford, appeared on shows like ABC’s FOR LIFE and CBS’s BULL, and participated in prestigious comedy festivals, including the HBO Women in Comedy Festival.
Before comedy, Liz was a tenured law professor, having earned her B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was a Law Review member. She taught at Hofstra University and published extensively in top law journals.
Drawing from her unique journey as a former lawyer, lesbian, and rabbi’s wife, Liz delivers insightful, personal comedy at clubs, festivals, and private events. She’s equally at home on stage or performing virtually, connecting with audiences nationwide.
Mary Lynn Rajskub - Comedian of the year
Becoming fame-ish ain’t easy. Judd Apatow must love you, but never put you in one of his movies. Remember to go drunk to your Legally Blonde 2 audition and make sure Paul Thomas Anderson has your cell phone number. Don’t forget to accidentally kiss Rush Limbaugh in front of paparazzi. It’s all part of the gig. Self-deprecating and sharp, Mary Lynn’s debut collection of essays will have you laughing, cringing, and reevaluating your idea of fame. Smart, satirical, and relatable, this book gives new meaning to the word “icon” as Mary Lynn navigates showbiz against the backdrop of her own idiosyncrasies. She gives the people what they want: a raucous look at what it’s like to kind of somehow sometimes have a name in Hollywood. Like when she made out with Tom Cruise for forty-five minutes on a couch (with and without tongues!), only to have the scene left on the cutting room floor. Mary Lynn’s Fame-ish is an honest intimate look at sex, relationships, and career. You won’t want to put it down
2019
Wilfred Padua - 2019 Winner
Wilfred Padua is a comedian in New York who has an MFA in Writing from some place in Chicago. He was the winner of the 2019 Boston Comedy Festival, and a finalist in Big Sky. He has also performed at Bumbershoot, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, 10,000 Laughs, and SF Sketchfest. He was featured on NPR and Sirius XM, and was named one of the 50 Best Undiscovered Comedians in America by Thrillist where they said his comedy was “impish” for some reason.
Emo philips- Lifetime Achievement Winner
Described by Jay Leno as “the best joke writer in America,” by British comedian Gary Delaney as the best joke writer in the world, and by “Weird Al” Yankovic as one of the funniest people on the planet, Emo Philips has performed over 7000 times throughout the English-speaking world, including a multi-week run at the Playhouse Theater in London’s West End. Since starting out in Chicago in 1976 at the age of twenty, Emo has had award-winning comedy albums, several cable specials (including an hour-long one on HBO), and many appearances on network television, both in America and in the UK. He has appeared in films (most notably, as the table-saw demonstrator in UHF) and has lent his distinctive voice to animated TV shows (such as Slacker Cats, Doctor Katz, Adventure Time, and Home Movies), but his first love, stand-up, remains his true one.
Eugene Mirman- Comedian of the Year
Eugene Mirman is a comedian, actor and hero who lives in Massachusetts. He voices “Gene” on Fox’s Emmy Award winning animated series Bob’s Burgers and hosts the Audible podcast, Hold On. He appeared regularly on Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim’s Delocated, and Archer, and has two standup comedy specials on Comedy Central. His latest comedy special is available on Netflix. Eugene is also a frequent co-host of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s science/ comedy show, StarTalk. His fifth comedy album, I’m Sorry (You’re Welcome), is available from Sub Pop Records in multiple formats — a 9 Volume Digital Set, 7LPs, a chair, and a robe.
2018
Jennifer Coolidge
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress and comedian, best known for her roles as "Stifler's mom" in American Pie (1999), Paulette in Legally Blonde (2001) and its sequel, and Sophie in 2 Broke Girls. She is a regular performer in Christopher Guest's mockumentary films and an alumna of The Groundlings comedy troupe. Born in Boston and raised in Norwell, Massachusetts, Coolidge studied at Emerson College and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She is also active in charitable causes, supporting AIDS assistance and animal rights.
Gary Gulman
Comedian of the Year
Over 25 years in comedy, Gary Gulman has established himself as an eminent performer and peerless writer. His most recent standup special for HBO, “The Great Depresh,” is a universally acclaimed, tour de force look at mental illness, equal parts hilarious and inspiring. A product of Boston, Gulman has been a scholarship college football player, an accountant, and a high school teacher. He has made countless television appearances as both a comedian and an actor. He is currently writing a memoir for Flatiron Books, tentatively titled “K Through 12
Nancy Norton 2018 Winner
Nancy Norton is a crowd favorite and a Bicoastal Comedy Champion! Nancy’s High Energy, Intuitive and Engaging style lead her to be crowned Champion of the 40th Seattle International Comedy Competition and awarded FIRST FEMALE WINNER of the Boston Comedy Festival. Featured on a Dry Bar Comedy Special, Netflix, Amazon Prime, A&E, NickMom Night Out, PBS and has several viral videos on social media. Norton is a former nurse who is certified in therapeutic humor, bringing healing energy to audiences with uplifting material hilarious to folks from all walks of life.
Andrew Mayer
2017 Winner
Andrew Mayer is a Boston-based stand-up comedian, performing in clubs and festivals across the country since 2004. He has previously won the Boston Comedy Festival, and has been a featured performer in the Bridgetown Comedy Festival and Seattle International Comedy Competition. Andrew’s 2015 debut album, Nonsense, has been described as “silly, whimsical, smart, and–most importantly– incredibly funny.” His second album, Having a Nice Time, was released with Blonde Medicine in 2020.
2017
Drew Dunn
2017 Winner
After winning the Boston Comedy Festival in 2017, he began to perform comedy regularly around the country. In 2018, Drew won the Seattle International Comedy Competition followed by being selected to be a “New Face of Comedy” at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal in 2019. Drew has since continued to headline comedy clubs across the US and Canada while making various types of online content earning millions of views.
Drew has a special on Dry Bar Comedy and a set recorded with Don’t Tell Comedy.
Barry Crimmins
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Barry Crimmins was a trailblazing comedian, writer, and activist, renowned for his sharp political satire and the book Never Shake Hands With A War Criminal. As the founder of Boston’s iconic clubs, The Ding Ho and Stitches, he played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s comedy scene, launching the careers of Steven Wright, Paula Poundstone, and others.
After establishing himself as a top political satirist, Barry performed nationwide, appearing on The NBC Nightly News, The HBO Young Comedians Special, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He recorded two acclaimed comedy albums, Strange Bedfellows and Kill the Messenger, and contributed to publications like The Boston Phoenix. His collaborations included tours with Billy Bragg, Jackson Browne, and Steven Wright.
A lifelong activist, Barry was honored with awards such as the Peace Leadership Award, the Courage of Conscience Award alongside Maya Angelou, and the Artist for Social Change Award, recognizing his dedication to social justice and grassroots causes
Robert Kelly
Comedian of the Year
Robert Kelly’s comedy is deeply rooted in his own life and relationships which makes it honest, abrasively funny, yet refreshingly vulnerable. He has been winning over audiences for years touring clubs, colleges and theaters, including repeat performances at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival.
Robert’s most recent one hour comedy special “Kill Box” can be purchased through robertkellylive.com. Robert is the co-host of The Bonfire on SiriusXM. Robert was on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. and recurring on the Comedy Central Series This Week At The Comedy Cellar. Besides being a fixture in comedy, Robert played the role of Bobby in the 2022 Fourth of July movie. Robert played Bam Bam in Denis Leary’s FX show Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. He can also be seen as Louie CK’s brother Robbie on the hit series Louie.
His other acting credits include roles in Unsane, Trainwreck, The Truth About Santa Claus, Maron, Benders, Nurse Jackie, Inside Amy Schumer and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Robert currently hosts the top rated podcast “You Know What Dude?” found on iTunes and Patreon. Robert also co-hosts Calta and Kelly with Mike Calta, as well as, Bone To Pick with Paul Virzi, both found on iTunes and YouTube.
2016
Rob Ryan- 2016 Winner
Rob Ryan, like many comedy greats, hails from Long Island and has taken New York City by storm. After graduating valedictorian from Stony Brook University Rob immediately threw out his degree and relentlessly pursued stand-up comedy.
In this past year, Rob has hit the air waves appearing on “LAUGHS” on FOX and “Gotham Comedy Live” on AXStv performing original stand-up material. He’s also been featured on Radio and Television ads as an hilarious spokesman for “SHEETZ” gas and convenient stores. He is a presence in the New York scene performing nightly at the Broadway and New York Comedy Clubs, The Comic Strip, Gotham and others.
Rob Ryan’s style is a perfect blend of clean, relatable observational humor wrapped in an energetic delivery. Audiences love that Rob not only shares the thoughts parading through his mind but he shows them, with vivid characters and spot on delivery. Rob’s intelligent witticisms combined with his infectious story telling make his shows not only entertaining but unforgettable. To tell you any more though would be giving it away.
John Ratzenberger
Lifetime Achievement Winner
John Ratzenberger, best known as Cliff Clavin on Cheers, is the 6th most successful actor of all time, with a total box office of over $3 billion. He has voiced characters in every Pixar film and appeared in Superman and The Empire Strikes Back. Recently, he’s been featured in Legit, Bones, CSI, Drop Dead Diva, and Franklin and Bash. Beyond acting, John invented eco-friendly alternatives to styrofoam packaging.
Patty Ross
Comedian of the Year
Patty Ross is one of the most adored comedy personalities. Ross’ uniqueness and excellent stage presence have caught the eyes of audiences, corporations, and many others all over the country. Her captivating wit humorously described problems of everyday life of a tough but lovable character that is winning people over with every performance. The American Comedy Awards nominated Ross for Best Female Guest Star in a Sitcom for one of her appearances on Roseanne. She was also the featured female performer at the 1997 Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Canada. Ross’ extraordinary experience in the field. She’s opened for Andrew Dice Clay in 10,000 seat venues, and received a standing ovation from a convention of Montessori Nuns
David Zucker
Lifetime Achievement Winner
David S. Zucker is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Associated mostly with parody comedies, Zucker is recognized as the director and writer of the critically successful 1980 film Airplane! as well as being the creator of The Naked Gun franchise and for directing Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4. Di Bona is considered one of the pioneers of reality TV, thanks to Battle of the Network Stars, which Di Bona produced in 1976. By the 1980s, Di Bona had become a producer for the syndicated newsmagazineout this person.
2015
Peter Martin - 2015 Winner
Peter Martin is a comedian living in Somerville. His humor relates to that of the Boston blue collar working class with his gritty taste. From absurd silliness to intelligent satire, Peter Martin has made a name for himself in the Boston comedy scene the past 7 years.
George Wallace
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Wallace grew up in Atlanta Georgia in the 50s and 60s, and he knew he wanted to be a comedian when he was 6 years old. He did go through college and earned degrees in marketing and transportation at the University of Akron. He moved to NYC in 1977 and worked in advertising sells before starting his standup career. Wallace’s first job in entertainment was writing for Red Foxx, and as his career developed he would contribute to many films. He has appeared on Seinfeld and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He also won the American Comedy Award for best male standup comedian in 1995. Wallace was a headliner for the Flamingo hotel and casino for over a decade ending his reign in 2014.
Dana Gould
Comedian of the Year
Dana started performing comedy at the age of 17. He studied communications and theater at UMass Amherst, but after a year moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in comedy. He founded the San Francisco Comedy Condo in 1986 with another comedian named Alex Reid. Gould wrote and performed on The Ben Stiller Show, and has appeared in shows like MADtv and Seinfeld. He wrote for The Simpsons for 7 years, and was the co-executive producer from seasons 14-18. He left to pursue his own interests in screenwriting. Gould created his own podcast called The Dana Gould Hour. Recurring guests include comedians like Eddie Pepitone, and every episode is based on a different theme. Episodes from the podcast come out every two months.
2014
Saurin Choksi - 2014 winner
Children’s & Family Emmy-nominated writer, recognized for my work on Fred Rogers Productions’ Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. I staffed on Mo Willems’ Unlimited Squirrels, a cartoon series for all ages—or as Mo puts it, "from birth to death." I’ve penned scripts for Sesame Workshop, PBS, Nickelodeon, Apple TV, and Netflix. I’m in the Writers' Guild, the Animation Guild, and I’m a Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room fellow.
Previously, I wrote on staff for the Refinery 29 talk show, After After Party. I hosted Fuse TV’s White Guy Talk Show, where I chatted about pop culture and wore suits I couldn't afford. I also performed on-camera in numerous digital sketches for Comedy Central.
A 15 year stand up comedy veteran, I won The Boston Comedy Festival and performed on Fox TV and Sirius/XM radio. I produced and hosted two acclaimed live stand up showcases in Brooklyn: Comedians You Should Know NYC and Brown Privilege Comedy. I trained at the Second City, Annoyance and iO comedy theaters.
Al PArk- Winner
Al Park has quickly emerged as a rising talent on the national comedy scene. He won both the Boston Comedy Festival and Cleveland Comedy Festival competitions, and was a finalist in the prestigious Seattle International Comedy Competition. In 2019, he was invited to perform at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY. Named Boston’s Best Comedian by Improper Bostonian magazine, Park mixes sharp observation and cultural satire with plenty of self-deprecation for a unique, authentic comic voice. His standup can be heard on Audible.com, and he made his television debut on FOX TV’s “Laughs”
2013
Paul Oddo - 2013 Winner
Paul Oddo is a standup comedian and an improviser. Paul won the Boston Comedy Festival in 2012, and he was also featured at the Out Of Bounds Comedy Festival & SXSW in Austin, the New York Comedy Festival, and The Bridgetown Comedy Festival. He is soon to release his first Standup CD/DVD, as well as his first book.
Lenny Clarke
Lifetime Achievement Winner
The one and only Bad Boy from Boston. Nationally known comedian, Lenny Clarke, with the heavy Boston accent and the Don Rickles attitude, might do just about anything. You really don't know what will come out of his mouth next. He came up in the 1980s, the heyday of Boston Comedy, with fellow funnymen Steven Wright, Martin Olson and Denis Leary. In fact he was roommates with Olsen, and their apartment, known by comedians as "The Barracks," was a notorious "crash pad" for visiting comics, and the subject of a documentary film as Clarke and Leary explain in "When Standup Stood Out." Lenny has appeared in several television shows like Lenny, Contest Searchlight, The Job, The John Larroquette Show, It's All Relative and most recently he played the role of Uncle Teddy on Rescue Me. His film credits include Monument Men, Fever Pitch and Southie. Currently he is busy working on the television series, The Winner. “Crazy train” is the term late-night host Jimmy Fallon used to describe Lenny when they worked together on the 2005 movie “Fever Pitch.”
Judah Friedlander Comedian of the Year
Friedlander has performed standup frequently during his entertainment career. While on 30 Rock, he was performing standup regularly. Friedlander has cited comedians Steven Wright, Sam Kinison, and John Mulrooney as influences. He also says that Dave Attell is one of his favorite comics. Friedlander’s uses deadpan delivery to humor audiences with exaggerated ideas of his life. Many of these claims are sayings shown on his trucker hats. The most common is “World Champion”, and he’s worn that one many times in different languages. One of his claims include being an expert in karate, having achieved an “extra-dark black belt” in the sport. In 2010, he authored the humor book How to Beat Up Anybody: An Instructional and Inspirational Karate Book by the World Champion.
2012
Alingon Mitra- 2012 Winner
Alingon Mitra is a stand up comedian known for his tight jokes, original thoughts, and affable presence.
Making his television debut on NBC's Last Comic Standing, Alingon finished first in the public vote 5 weeks in a row to win the comic comeback contest and perform on the finale. He has since been invited to do stand up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Adam Devine's House Party on Comedy Central. In addition, he wrote for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Adam Ruins Everything. Alingon went on to be named one of the "New Faces of Comedy" at Montreal's Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. He also won both the Boston Comedy Festival and the "Funniest Comic in New England" contest in the same year. Alingon was a writer for the humor magazine The Harvard Lampoon and can now be found on TikTok, on Instagram, or in bed.
Marc Maron
Comedian of the Year
For over thirty years, Marc Maron has been writing and performing comedy for print, stage, radio, online and television. With his landmark podcast WTF with Marc Maron, which achieves more than 55 million listens per year, he’s interviewed icons such as Robin Williams, Keith Richards, Nicole Kidman, and former US president Barack Obama.
Marc starred in the Netflix series “GLOW" and his scripted series, "MARON", aired for four seasons on IFC. He’s had recent roles in the films JOKER, SPENCER CONFIDENTIAL, SWORD OF TRUST, STARDUST, the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic, RESPECT, alongside Jennifer Hudson and Dreamworks animated feature THE BAD GUYS co-starring Sam Rockwell.
Marc’s stand-up special “MORE LATER” (2015) aired on Epix and his specials “THINKY PAIN” (2013), “TOO REAL" (2017) and 2020’s “END TIMES FUN", which was nominated for a 2021 Critics’ Choice Award, are currently streaming on Netflix. Marc is the author of The Jerusalem Syndrome: My Life as a Reluctant Messiah and Attempting Normal.
Emmanuel Lewis
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Lewis was nominated for four Young Artist Awards for his role on Webster in the late 80s. Lewis’ popularity grew from his work as a spokesperson for Burger King. He appeared in television commercials for big companies like Campbell’s Soup, Life and Colgate. He played himself on an episode of The Weakest Link in 2001, and was voted off in the third round. He appeared in the reality show The Surreal Life in 2003, and in follow-up game episodes in later years. He has cameo appearances in Kickin’ It Old Skool and a 2013 episode of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis. Lewis has owned several companies: Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises (dissolved in 2008), Global Entertainment Media Company (dissolved in 2011), and Future Begins Now (also dissolved in 2011), a music label, Flex Floss, a car wash, and a limousine company.
2011
Landry - 2011 Winner
Landry is best recognized for his likeable hair, sprouting from charismatic follicles. He is a Canadian born interracial love child whose hybrid existence, when mixed with. a little dysfunction, makes for a fantastic recipe of comedy goulash. He is the winner of both the Boston Comedy Festival and the World Series of Comedy, but none of that matters so long as his mom thinks he's funny. With a smile that lights up a room and a personality to match, there is no telling what great things this performer will achieve.
Jonathan Katz
Lifetime Achievement Winner
The one and only Bad Boy from Boston. Nationally known comedian, Lenny Clarke, with the heavy Boston accent and the Don Rickles attitude, might do just about anything. You really don't know what will come out of his mouth next. He came up in the 1980s, the heyday of Boston Comedy, with fellow funnymen Steven Wright, Martin Olson and Denis Leary. In fact he was roommates with Olsen, and their apartment, known by comedians as "The Barracks," was a notorious "crash pad" for visiting comics, and the subject of a documentary film as Clarke and Leary explain in "When Standup Stood Out." Lenny has appeared in several television shows like Lenny, Contest Searchlight, The Job, The John Larroquette Show, It's All Relative and most recently he played the role of Uncle Teddy on Rescue Me. His film credits include Monument Men, Fever Pitch and Southie. Currently he is busy working on the television series, The Winner. “Crazy train” is the term late-night host Jimmy Fallon used to describe Lenny when they worked together on the 2005 movie “Fever Pitch.”
Bill Burr
Comedian of the Year
Bill Burr is one of the top comedic voices of his generation achieving success in TV and film as well as the live stage. Selling out theaters internationally Bill is a regular with Letterman Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon and his Monday Morning Podcast is one of the most downloaded comedy podcasts on iTunes. Bill’s fourth hour-long comedy special I’m Sorry You Feel That Way is on Netflix. He will be seen alongside Kevin Costner in the upcoming film Black and White and earlier this year he was seen alongside Elizabeth Banks in the film Walk of Shame. Bill guest starred in several episodes of Kroll Show on Comedy Central was seen in the Paul Feig film The Heat alongside Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy and in the Al Pacino and Christopher Walken film Stand Up Guys. Bill received raves for his recurring role of “Kuby” on the hit AMC-TV show Breaking Bad and he guest starred on Fox TV’s New Girl. His third hour-long special You People Are All The Same is available for download exclusively through his website and streaming on Netflix; his two critically acclaimed hour Comedy Central specials are available on Netflix and DVD.
2010
Nate Bargatze - 2010 Winner
Hailed as “The Nicest Man in Stand-Up,” by The Atlantic Magazine, Nate Bargatze is a Grammy nominated stand-up comedian from Nashville, TN.
Widely known for his clean and relatable comedy for all age groups and for his Netflix specials “The Tennessee Kid”, “Greatest Average American” and “The Stand-ups”, his latest special “Hello, World” can be found on Amazon Prime Video. Currently touring and selling out shows all over the world with his new “The Be Funny” Tour, Nate is also an avid golfer and sports enthusiast – always supporting his local Vanderbilt Commodores.
When not on the road, Nate is also the creator and host of the weekly podcast “Nateland”, which can be found through AudioBoom, his Youtube channel or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Nate has over 10 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, has performed for the troops in Kuwait and Iraq, with Chris Rock, and at Bonnaroo, SXSW, Oddball Comedy Festival, Sasquatch, Clusterfest, and the JFL Montreal Comedy Festival, where he’s received critical acclaim multiple years in a row.
Saleem Muhammad - 2010
Saleem has been featured on “The Tonight Show,” “Last Comic Standing,” BET and CNN Headline News. This Dayton, OH native developed his sharp wit as the youngest of two children, and it has served him well as he’s now a favorite of clubs, colleges and theaters worldwide.
Robert Klein
Lifetime Achievement Winner
For more than forty years, Robert Klein has entertained audiences, and he continues to have an acclaimed career in comedy, on Broadway, on television, and in film. Born in the Bronx, he was a member of the famed “Second City” theatrical troupe in Chicago. He was nominated twice for Grammy Awards for “Best Comedy Album of the Year” for his albums “Child of the Fifties” and “Mind Over Matter.” He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor, and won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his performance in the hit Neil Simon musical, “They’re Playing Our Song.” In 1993, Klein won an Obie and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in Wendy Wasserstein’s, “The Sisters Rosensweig.” Klein has also appeared in many notable films including, “Hooper,” “The Owl and the Pussycat,” “Primary Colors,” “People I Know,” “Two Weeks Notice,” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” and “The Back-Up Plan” with Jennifer Lopez.
Joe WonG
Comedian of the Year
Dana started performing comedy at the age of 17. He studied communications and theater at UMass Amherst, but after a year moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in comedy. He founded the San Francisco Comedy Condo in 1986 with another comedian named Alex Reid. Gould wrote and performed on The Ben Stiller Show, and has appeared in shows like MADtv and Seinfeld. He wrote for The Simpsons for 7 years, and was the co-executive producer from seasons 14-18. He left to pursue his own interests in screenwriting. Gould created his own podcast called The Dana Gould Hour. Recurring guests include comedians like Eddie Pepitone, and every episode is based on a different theme. Episodes from the podcast come out every two months.
2009
Dave McDonough- 2009 Winner
Dave is known for his deadpan style, and it has helped him climb up to his current popularity. He has performed in the Mottley’s, Dicks Beantown Comedy Vault, Nick’s Comedy Stop, and the Comedy Studio. He headlines all over the Boston area.
Marcy Carsey &Tom Werner
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Time Magazine called Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner TV producers with the “Midas touch.” Their astonishing run of hits includes That ‘70s Show, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, 3rd Rock From The Sun, Grounded For Life, A Different World, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Cosby, to name a few. In its three decade existence The Carsey-Werner Company has won multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and more and produced nearly 2000 episodes of unforgettable television that is celebrated and loved worldwide. One of the last remaining independent TV companies, these prolific producers have had an unprecedented impact on American culture and the entertainment business. Their classic shows continue to be seen in over 175 countries, in 50 different languages.
2008
Dwight Slade - 2008 Winner
Dwight Slade has had an amazing career in comedy. At 18, he finished 3rd in the Euphoria Comedy Contest, and later became one of the youngest performers to ever perform at the famous Comedy Store. He moved to Portland, OR in the 1980s, and he soon established himself as the premier standup in the Northwest opening concerts for Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Beck, and Dave Chappelle. He released two comedy CD’s on Humor Ink recordings, Weird State and Shut-up. In 2002, Slade became the first stand-up to make appearances at the three major North American Comedy Festivals: Aspen, Chicago and Montreal. Slade’s gained international fame after earning a five star review at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and appearances at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival. After a stellar performance at the 2008 Comedy Festival in Las Vegas, Slade was chosen to appear on a Tonight Show feature.
Lifetime Achievement Winners
The Smothers Brothers have appeared on numerous television shows over the past three decades. Two of them include their own shows: The Smothers Brothers Show, a sitcom from 1965 to 1966, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, a variety show in 1967. The Smothers Brothers pushed boundaries of comedy by satirizing the Vietnam War, and their work has inspired many comedians to push other political boundaries.
Vin Di Bonna - Vin received an education at Emerson College, where he served as manager of the campus radio station, After graduating from Emerson and earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in film at UCLA, he worked for nine years at WBZ-TV. After he left WBZ-TV, Vin moved with his family to LA. Di Bona was unemployed for about eight months but finally became employed at CBS directing and producing documentaries, which earned him four Emmys and a Peabody Award. Di Bona is considered one of the pioneers of reality TV, thanks to Battle of the Network Stars, which Di Bona produced in 1976. By the 1980s, Di Bona had become a producer for the syndicated newsmagazine
The Smothers Brothers
& Vin Di Bona
2007
TOMMY SAVITT- 2007 Winner
After winning the BCF in 2007, Tommy kept his streak rolling into winning the 2008 Seattle International Comedy Competition. In addition, Tommy has devoted much of his time to entertaining our troops overseas.
Mort Sahl - Lifetime Achievement Winner
Mort Sahl (1927–2021) was a trailblazing American comedian and satirist, widely regarded as one of the most influential stand-up performers of the 20th century. Known for his sharp wit and politically charged humor, Sahl revolutionized comedy in the 1950s by incorporating current events, social commentary, and improvisation into his act. Performing in his trademark casual style, often with a newspaper in hand, he became a favorite in clubs like San Francisco’s hungry i and New York’s Blue Angel.
Sahl released several successful comedy albums, became the first comedian to appear on Time magazine's cover, and influenced generations of comedians, including Woody Allen and George Carlin. Beyond stand-up, he wrote jokes for politicians, hosted television shows, and appeared in films like In Love and War (1958).
Known for his fearless critique of the establishment, Sahl continued performing into his later years, leaving a lasting legacy as the father of modern stand-up comedy.
Lewis Black
Comedian of the Year
LEWIS BLACK uses his trademark style of comedic yelling and animated finger-pointing to skewer anything and anyone that gets under his skin. His comedic brilliance lies in his ability to make people laugh at the absurdities of life, with topics that include current events, social media, politics and anything else that exposes the hypocrisy and madness he sees in the world.
In 2020, he released Thanks for Risking Your Life. "Facing a nationwide shutdown for the foreseeable future, I performed stand up one last time. This is that show (Mar 13, 2020 New Buffalo MI)." His latest stand up special, Tragically, I Need You, released earlier this year and has already surpassed 1.3 million views on YouTube. The brand-new special explores topics including his ways of coping with the pandemic, his frustrations with the evolving world, and of course his thoughts about the chaos of America these last few years.
Receiving critical acclaim as a stand-up, actor and author, Black has performed for audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. In 2012, he performed eight sell-out shows at Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. Since 2014 Lewis Black has done over 400 live streaming shows, called THE RANT IS DUE, at the end of each of his standup performances. Adding his own unique style, Lewis delivers audience-written Rants which have been submitted from the fans at his show and throughout the world. These rants are now available on Lewis Black’s podcast, RantCast.
Shelley Berman - Lifetime Achievement Winner
Shelley Berman (1925–2017) was a groundbreaking American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, and poet. After studying drama at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and honing his craft with the Woodstock Players, Berman became a pioneer in stand-up comedy, known for his innovative one-man monologues and telephone routines. His 1959 album Inside Shelley Berman was the first comedy album to win a Grammy and achieve gold record status.
Berman's television career spanned decades, with memorable roles on The Twilight Zone, Bewitched, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Boston Legal. His portrayal of Nat David on Curb Your Enthusiasm earned him a 2008 Emmy nomination.
In addition to performing, Berman authored several books and plays, taught humor writing at USC for over 20 years, and published a poetry collection in 2013. He retired in 2014 and passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.
What an incredible year! We presented our inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary Norm Crosby, honored Steven Wright as Comedian of the Year, and adopted our first comiedian, the incomparable Dan Boulger.
2006
Dan Boulger - 2006 Winner
Dan Boulger began his comedy career in late 2004 only one week into his freshman year of college. Quickly becoming a favorite in the New England area Boulger started performing nationally after winning the Boston Comedy Festival in 2006 at the age of 20. He has since received recognition form both audiences and industry alike having performed on Comedy Central, The BBC, and the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival. Due to his age he is an ideal college performer and has appeared on several high profile college tours such as the Comedy Central Live and College Humor Live tours and has been able to be the supporting act for many famous comedians including Dennis Miller and Zach Galifianakis.
Norm Crosby
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Norm Crosby (1927–2020) was a beloved American comedian, best known as "The Master of Malaprop." With his signature style of humor, Crosby entertained audiences by intentionally misusing words in a comical yet clever way. He gained widespread fame in the 1960s and 1970s through frequent appearances on television shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and as a regular on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts.
Crosby was also a skilled performer in stand-up, nightclubs, and Las Vegas showrooms, where his unique blend of wit and charm won him a devoted following. Beyond comedy, he co-hosted the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for decades, demonstrating his commitment to philanthropy.
Crosby’s enduring humor and mastery of language made him a cherished figure in American comedy, and his influence continues to resonate with comedians and fans alike.
Ryan Stout - 2005 Winner
Ryan Stout is a seasoned stand-up comedian who has performed all over the world. He’s made over 200 television appearances on programs including CONAN, Chelsea Lately, HBO’s Funny as Hell, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, and his own half-hour special: Comedy Central Presents… Ryan Stout. He’s hosted game shows, clip shows, and talk shows for networks like MTV, FOX, CBS, and AXS TV. Ryan has also released three stand-up comedy albums — Touché (2011), How to Be an Audience (2016), and Man in the Suit (2019) — which all debuted at the top of the comedy sales charts and have since been streamed millions of times across multiple platforms and are regularly broadcast on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. He’s been heard on comedy podcasts like WTF with Marc Maron, Your Mom’s House, and Doug Loves Movies. And, if you have real sharp eyes, you might’ve seen Ryan on Netflix in the documentary American Meme (2018) and in the Academy Award winning film Mank (2020).
Tom Cotter - 2004 Winner
In addition to winning the 5th Annual Boston Comedy Festival, Tom has gone on to do many amazing things In August 2013, AGT asked Tom back to perform as a special guest star (along with Train) and then again to host “The Season 8 AGT Snapple Viewing Party.” In January 2019 Tom was again invited back to the AGT stage – this time to perform against the best of the best “Got Talent” performers from other years and around the world in “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.” In one the most talked about sets of the entire competition, Tom received a STANDING OVATION from the adoring crowd. Tom’s other numerous television and radio credits include “The Tonight Show,” “Last Comic Standing,” and his very own “Comedy Central Presents… Tom Cotter,” The Howard Stern Show, Comics Unleashed, multiple appearance on CBS’ “The Late Late Show” and Celebrity Host of “Gotham Comedy Live” on AXS-TV.
2000-2003
Sean Quinn - 2003 winner
Sean is a Comedian and Writer in Los Angeles
Robbie Printz - 2002 Winner
Robbie has been seen on Comedy Central, NBC, MTV and A&E. The Improper Bostonian named him Boston’s Best Comedy Act in their Best of Boston 2003 issue.
Paul Nardizzi - 2001 Winner
A Boston-based comic, Paul has made appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central and XM Radio. He has released two books as well as two comedy albums and also has a live performance DVD “Paul Nardizzi – Live from the Comedy Connection
Dave Russo - 2000 Winner
After winning the inaugural BCF, Dave has gone on to be featured on E! Network’s “The Entertainer”, NESN’s Comedy All-Stars and “The Comedians”, America’s Comedy Magazine.
