NZ Comedy Guild Award Winners Announced

And the Winner is… NZ Comedy Guild Award Winners Announced

The NZ Comedy Guild Awards held Tuesday night in the packed Classic comedy bar recognised local and international talent and their achievements across what has been an incredible year for comedy in New Zealand.

The annual awards are a celebration of an industry which has grown to take on the world. With acts like Flight Of The Conchords, Rose Matafeo, Urzila Carlson, and Rhys Darby achieving huge international status, it shows that the industry here is proving to be a great producer of worldwide talent.

The event was marked by wins from Brendhan Lovegrove, who took out three awards, newcomer Josiah Day with two, and the hit TV show Wellington Paranormal with a couple of awards also.

Three prestigious Guild awards are named for honoring late kiwi comedians. The Ewen Gilmour Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to Mike King. A recognition, not only of his outstanding comedy career but also his committed efforts in the mental health sector. The Guild salutes Mr King’s comedy career which helped form our comedy industry itself. His longstanding work with mental health organisations including keytolife.org.nz make him a deserving recipient of the award affectionally known as “The Ewie”.

Mike accepted the award and dedicated it to his dear fried Ewen, Ewen’s mother, Janet and Ewen’s brother Lyall.

The big winner for 2018 was Rose Matafeo who has had incredible success on the international stage in recent years. Her achievements in prestigious international festivals were recognized as being both trial blazing and showing a path for another generation of New Zealand Comics.

A full list of awards, nominees and winners follows.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY
Bec Sandys
Brendhan Lovegrove
Joel Wood
Scott Blanks
WINNER Brendhan Lovegrove

THE GREEN ROOMER
David Correos
Josiah Day
Justine Smith
Paul Douglas
WINNER Justine Smith

‘THE CLASSIC’ BEST COMEDY VENUE
Basement Theatre (AKL)
The Fringe Bar (WELL)
Revelry (AKL)
Tabac (AKL)
WINNER The Fringe Bar

BEST INTERNATIONAL GUEST
Greg Fleet
Jon Bennett
Lloyd Langford
Rhys Nicholson
WINNER Rhys Nicholson

COMIC ORIGINALITY
Chris Parker
David Correos
Paul Williams
Ray Shipley
WINNER David Correos

BEST IMPROV SHOW
Social Improv Night (SIN, Steven Lyons)
Snort
MacKenzie’s Daughters
WINNER Snort

BEST LIVE SHOW
Frickin’ Dangerous Bro - Humble
Nick Rado – Nailed It!
Two Hearts – Restart The Hearts
Rhys Mathewson – The Clumsy Tango
Rose Matafeo – Horndog
WINNER Rose Matafeo

FUNNIEST ONLINE PRESENCE
James Mustapic
Joe Daymond
Melanie Bracewell
Tom Sainsbury
WINNER James Mustapic

BEST COMEDY WEB SERIES, PODCAST OR RADIO SERIES
Alice Snedden’s Bad News
I’ll Be Back Catalogue
SHXT Talk
The Male Gayz
WINNER Alice Snedden’s Bad News

BEST COMEDY WRITING FOR FILM OR TELEVISION
7 Days
Funny Girls
Nick Rado
The Project
Wellington Paranormal
WINNER Wellington Paranormal

BEST COMEDY PERFORMANCE ON TELEVISION
Angella Dravid
Chris Parker
Guy Williams
James Mustapic
Josh Thomson
Rose Matafeo
WINNER Josh Thomson

BEST COMEDY TV SERIES OR EVENT
7 Days
Funny Girls
The Project
Wellington Paranormal
WINNER Wellington Paranormal

BEST NEWCOMER
Chester Jerrat
Joe Daymond
Josh Thompson (Josh Jack)
Josiah Day
Hannah Campbell
WINNER Josiah Day

BREAKTHROUGH COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR
James Mustapic
Joe Daymond
Josiah Day
Melanie Bracewell
WINNER Melanie Bracewell

GAG OF THE YEAR
Josiah Day – Skeleton Boy
Keegan Govind – What is this?
Lana Walters – Bra shopping
Ruby Esther – Has everybody had a good… upbringing?
WINNER Josiah Day

BEST MC
Brendhan Lovegrove
Jerome Chandrahasen
Justine Smith
Rhys Mathewson
WINNER Brendhan Lovegrove

BEST MALE COMEDIAN
Ben Hurley
Brendhan Lovegrove
Paul Douglas
Pax Assadi
WINNER Brendhan Lovegrove

BEST FEMALE COMEDIAN
Donna Broolbanks
Justine Smith
Melanie Bracewell
Rose Matafeo
WINNER Rose Matafeo

THE ANDREW KOVACEVICH MEMORIAL CUP FOR MOST OFFENSIVE GAG
David Correos – Bike Pump
James Malcom – Disneyland Sex
WINNER David Correos

THE KEVIN SMITH MEMORIAL CUP FOR OUTSTANDING ARTIST ACHIEVEMENT
Guy Montgomery
Melanie Bracewell
Ray Shipley
Rose Matafeo
Urzila Carlson
WINNER Rose Matafeo

THE EWEN GILMOUR AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
WINNER Mike King

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