Accolade at the Just For Laughs festival

Hannah Gadsby has collected an award for comedy special of the year at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal.

She was presented with the accolade for her acclaimed Netflix special Nanette by Maria Bamford, who said: ‘It really spoke to me as a comedian.’

Accepting the award, Gadsby thanked those who provided the ‘external scaffolding’ to make the show happen, though she added: ‘I did most of the work myself.’

But she was keen to emphasise her roots. ‘This was born as a live show. It lived because of the reactions of a live audience. I cut my teeth in front of an audience.’ 

She praised the stand-up circuit, saying she was ‘happy to see so many outsiders feel part of it’ – but also said: ‘I’ve never felt entirely part of comedy as I’m very quiet and often get lost. And as a queer comic, I often get lost.’

And she urged the industry figures in the room: ’We are an industry based on outsiders, so please don’t stop looking to the outside.’

Gadsby previously won the Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and shared last year's Edinburgh Comedy Award for the live version of Nanette.

Bamford also used her time on stage to urge Just For Laughs to pay the new comedians invited to take part in he New Faces showcases, given the company turns over around $100million a year.

‘This is clearly a multimillion-dollar business and things need to change,’ she told the audience – which included Howie Mandel, one of the new owners of the company after founder Gilbert Rozon stepped down last year following accusations of sexual misconduct.

Awards host Alonzo Bodden was keen to point out that yesterday’s ceremony honoured no white men.

Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish was named comedy person of the year, and in an emotional speech told of how stand-up turned her life around after she attended the Laugh Factory camp and being encouraged to express herself.

‘I never had a dad and all these comedians became my dad and my big brothers,’ said Haddish, who grew up in foster care after her mother suffered severe brain damage in an accident caused by the comic’s stepfather tampering with the brakes on the car.

Choking back the tears Haddish also thanked the comics who helped her out while she was homeless when she started out.

She added: ‘I always promised that if I ever got enough money I’d get my mother out of mental hospital’ – and revealed that in December, that came true. ‘They say money can’t buy you happiness but it can buy you a bit of security and a guard to stop your momma whooping your ass,’ she said.

And she disclosed that her mum had said: ‘I’m so proud of you’ when learning of the Just For Laughs award. ‘I almost died because all my life I’ve been waiting to hear her say that,’ she said.

Also picking up prizes were Jo Koy for stand-up comedian of the year, Lil Rel Howery, star of Fox’s upcoming sitcom Rel,  for breakout comedy star of the year, and Glow creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch for comedy writers of the year.

Published: 28 Jul 2018