2021 Comedy Awards! Here Are Your Winners (As Voted For By You!) For the Eighth Annual Comedy Awards
Best of Everything in Comedy 2021 as Chosen by You
It’s time to close out this year’s two week long Best of Everything in Comedy Awards by announcing your choices for the winners of the best comedy of 2021. This year there was so much to brag about, and our top ten lists were full of killer comedy. We chose all our favorite comedy things and you voted for the winners of the 2021 Readers Poll, the only place on the internet or IRL where you get to decide who is the best of the best: The Best of Everything in Comedy 2021.
Over ten thousand voters representing thirty different countries voted in six comedy categories including Stand Up Comedian of the Year, Best Comedy Album, Best Hour Stand Up Special, Best Book Written by a Comedian, Best Comedy Movie, Best Comedy TV Show or Series. You also voted on Best Viral Video, Biggest Comedy Generating News Story, and Biggest Comedy Scandal in 2021. Also don’t miss our non-voting lists, like 11 Innovators Who Changed Comedy in 2021 and our Award for Remarkable Achievement of Exceptional Noteworthiness in Unrelated Categories and of course, Marty Younge’s 10 Comedians Who Crushed it in Canada in 2021. You can see all our year-end lists– all 14 of them- right here. Now onto the winners!
Scroll down below the graphic to see this year’s winners and past winners in a straight list.
Or read the results from 2020, results from 2019, the results from 2018 as well as from 2017, from 2016, our 2015 and 2014 awards posts here.
First the videos. Your pick for the BEST VIRAL VIDEO of 2021 goes to Tim Dillon Interviews Capitol Rioter, which edged out Ikea Guy in the last day of voting. You chose Dave Chappelle’s controversial newest special as the #1 Scandal of the year overturning our pick of Tony Hinchcliffe’s scandalous set in Austin. And you picked the Capitol Riots as the news story that generated the most jokes, the most memes, the most viral videos and the most monologue references.
And now on to the awards!
In the category of BEST COMEDY SERIES, our big winner THE MS PAT SHOW which airs on BET+ took an early lead and kept on crushing it, taking home the Best Comedy Series award in our readers choice poll. See all the nominees here.
Best Series Winner 2020: Schitt’s Creek
Best Series Winner 2019: TIE: The Righteous Gemstones
Best Series Winner 2018: TIE: Crashing, Barry
Best Series Winner 2017: Better Things
Best Series Winner 2016: Baskets
Best Series Winner 2015: The Jim Gaffigan Show
Best Series Winner 2014: Last Week Tonight
BEST COMEDY MOVIE went to a sequel, again! And COMING 2 AMERICA is also Eddie Murphy’s second time starring in a comedy movie of the year winner. This was no walk in the park win. Coming 2 America came from behind to squeak past the two early frontrunners, Bobcat Goldthwait’s Joy Ride, and the Eric Andre helmed Bad Trip. See all the nominees here.
Best Movie Winner 2020: Borat 2
Best Movie Winner 2019: My Name is Dolemite
Best Movie Winner 2018: Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Best Movie Winner 2017: Gilbert
Best Movie Winner 2016: Deadpool
Best Movie Winner 2015: Trainwreck
Best Movie Winner 2014: Grand Budapest Hotel
The BEST COMEDY BOOK category was a decisive win for TOM SCHARPLING and IT NEVER ENDS: A MEMOIR WITH NICE MEMORIES . This is Scharpling’s first book and first win, and it’s well deserved. IT NEVER ENDS is not only a great read, its also a great audio book available on Audible. See all the nominees here
Best Book Winner 2020: Colin Quinn: Overstated A Coast to Coast Roast of the 50 States
Best Book Winner 2019: Judd Apatow: It’s Garry Shandling’s Book
Best Book Winner 2018: Jim Florentine: Everybody is Awful (Except You)
Best Book Winner 2017: Doug Stanhope: This is Not Fame
Best Book Winner 2016: Doug Stanhope: Digging Up Mother
Best Book Winner 2015: Colin Quinn: The Coloring Book
Best Book Winner 2014: Joan Rivers: Diary of a Mad Diva
In the stand-up categories, BEST COMEDY ALBUM had so many great albums this year and that was reflected in the voting, which changed order multiple times over. Album of the year is always a close fight, and this year was no exception, with every single album on the list getting strong support from voters. But ultimately you chose JAMES MATTERN as your winner for his inventive album titled, THE CHECK SPOT, in which he boldly takes on the most difficult spot any lineup. Congratulations to every single nominee who all scored significant numbers. Read all the nominees here.
Best Album Winner 2020: Bonnie McFarlane “Bird Calls”
Best Album Winner 2019: Rich Vos ‘When I Saw Hamilton’
Best Album Winner 2018: Adam Ferrara ‘Unconditional’
Best Album Winner 2017: Joe DeRosa ‘You Let Me Down’
Best Album Winner 2016: Rich Vos ‘V’
Best Album Winner 2015: Jay Mohr ‘Happy and a Lot’
Best Album Winner 2014: Big Jay Oakerson: The Crowdwork Series
We never expected this year to have so many amazing specials to choose from, but it was a strong year for recorded comedy. We chose ten exceptional hours, and one took an early lead and stayed out front throughout the voting. The BEST COMEDY SPECIAL award goes to MARK NORMAND for his killer hour, which he self produced and put out on YouTube, OUT TO LUNCH. It’s Normand’s second special, and we think it’s his best so far with much more to come. After being named Jerry Seinfeld’s favorite young up and coming comedian, you had better produce something great, and Normand did just that. Read all the nominees here.
Best Special Winner 2020: Mark Normand: Out to Lunch
Best Special Winner 2019: Dan Soder: Son of a Gary
Best Special Winner 2018: Gad Elmaleh: American Dream
Best Special Winner 2017: Judah Friedlander: America is the Best Country in the United States
Best Special Winner 2016: Barry Crimmins: Whatever Frightens You
Best Special Winner 2015: Jim Norton: Contextually Inadequate
Best Special Winner 2014: Jim Jefferies: Bare
Finally, the coveted STAND UP COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR goes to NATE BARGATZE, our first comedian to repeat wins for this category. It’s a gigantic year for Nate, who was also nominated as one of the 11 best comedy specials of the year, and he was nominated for a Grammy. You can see Nate currently on tour around the country, and listen to his Nateland podcast. Read all ten of our amazing Comedian of the Year nominees here.
Stand Up Comedian of the Year 2020: Colin Quinn
Stand Up Comedian of the Year 2019: Shane Gillis
Stand Up Comedian of the Year 2018: Bert Kreischer
Stand Up Comedian of the Year 2017: Judah Friedlander
Stand Up Comedian of the Year 2016: Jim Jefferies
Stand Up Comedian of the Year 2015: Nate Bargatze
Stand Up Comedian of the Year 2014: Bill Burr
