...and fund for hard-up comedians

The UK has had the British Comedy Awards for 20 years and the Chortle Awards for ten... now, finally, America is to have its own comic accolades.

Comedy Central and MTV have created a ceremony to honour the best comedy films, actors, TV series, digital content and stand-ups.

But while the British Comedy Awards will be flirting with controversy by going out live on January 22, the US version has plenty of time for careful editing. The show will be taped at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on March 26 and go out on April 10, simultaneously on Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land, VH1 and Nick At Nite.

The nominees will be decided by a board of directors that includes comedians, actors, directors, writers and producers including Billy Crystal, Will Ferrell, Whoopi Goldberg and Seth MacFarlane. The winners will be chosen by an invitation-only voting body of up to 1,000 comedy professionals. Some others will be decided by public vote.

A spokesman said: ‘The Comedy Awards will pay homage to the genre and honor the year's best comedy actors, films, television series and digital content.’

‘The event will celebrate the talented writers, directors and performers who have literally changed the laugh track of our lives: the pioneering legends who pushed boundaries; the TV shows that we rushed home to watch; the movies that are indelibly etched into our collective pop culture memory and the stand-up comedians that make us think while we laugh.’

In conjunction with the awards, a new charitable fund will be set up to help comedians who have fallen on hard times.

The MTVN Entertainment Group will join forces with Hollywood charity The Entertainment Industry Foundation to offer ‘financial assistance, health benefits and other resources for comedians across the country during times of need, crisis or transition’.

The spokesman said: ‘Without a union or other protection, many comedians face unique challenges to succeed and survive.’

Published: 11 Jan 2011