Comedian of the Year Nominations! The Top Comedians in 2025!
2025 Stand Up Comedian of the Year Nominees
For the 12th consecutive year, The Bennington Show and The Interrobang are working together to crown the Comedian of the Year. This isn’t about who is the “best” technician or who has the most legendary career—it’s about who absolutely owned the last twelve months. We’re looking for the performers who dominated the cultural conversation through bigger tours, chart-topping podcasts, being sought after as guests, breakout movie roles, or specials that actually made people stop scrolling. The media talked about them, they were debated on Reddit, and Twitter, and their ticket sales were popping.
As is our tradition, we have retired the jerseys of the absolute legends. The “Hall of Famers”—icons like Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, and Adam Sandler—are officially ineligible. They’ve already reached the summit. This year, we are also officially adding Shane Gillis, Bert Kreischer and Nate Bargatze to that list of legends too big to compete, although both have won the award in past years. They’ve moved into a different stratosphere, and we’re leaving this category to the sluggers still out there grinding for every laugh.
Some of this year’s nominees are faces we’ve watched rise through the “minor leagues” for years until they finally hit their stride. Others are veterans who have been favorites for decades but hit a specific milestone in 2025 that was impossible to ignore. This isn’t a “Best in the World” list; it’s a snapshot of the ten people who had the most undeniable, high-velocity year in the business.
In 2014, you picked Bill Burr as the Stand Up Comedian of the Year. In 2015, Nate Bargatze was your runaway favorite, in 2016 you overwhelmingly chose Jim Jeffries as the #1 comedian and in 2017 you chose Judah Friedlander as the greatest comic that year. In 2018, Bert Kreischer was voted comedian of the year. In 2019, it was Shane Gillis who overwhelmingly won your vote. In 2020 you picked Colin Quinn as The Interrobang’s Comedian of the Year. In 2021 you voted for Nate Bargatze as the comedian of the Year. In 2022, it was Chris Distefano who won the race. And in 2023 year Bert Kreischer won. Last year, Zarna Garg won your vote as the first female comedian to take the honor.
Vote everyday and if you don’t like our picks, you can write in your own.
Read all the nominees below, voting is open!
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Don’t forget you can also vote now for Comedy Movie of the Year! Vote for Comedy TV Series of the Year! Vote for Comedy Special of the Year- INDIE! Comedy Special of the Year- STUDIO! Vote for Best Book Written by a Comedian! Best Documentary in Comedy
STAVROS HALKIAS
Stavros Halkias star is rising so fast, he may soon be ineligible for the category. He is unquestionably a star. He’s a major headliner on stage, a top tier podcaster, an actor who went from starring in his own small indie film, to being on the red carpet with an Oscar contending cast, plus he’s a brand ambassador, a body positivity activist and a calendar boy. In 2023, he released a massive YouTube special with 8 million views and last year he starred in a great small film, LETS START A CULT. This year he had the third lead role in Bugonia, opposite Emma Stone and Jessie Plemmons, and A24 announced he’ll be cast in an upcoming biopic about Anthony Bourdain. He’s became a media personality with a feature in GQ and.a NY Times profile. He was invited to perform at the very high profile Riyadh comedy festival this year, but declined the invitation. He was a guest on Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney which featured only A-list guests. His podcast STAVVYs WORLD continues to be a game changer and was bought by SiriusXM. Plus he co-starred on Shane Gillis series Tires for a second season, and there’s about to be a third. His Dreamboat Stand Up Tour is crushing, hitting over 40 North American cities and stops in Europe, and its going so well, its been extended into 2026 . And he’s closing in on a million followers on Instagram. Everything’s coming up Stavvy.
BIG JAY OAKERSON
Whether it’s his dominance on The Bonfire- his long running radio show on SiriusXM, or his legendary crowd-work prowess, or the success of his latest special, Jay remains the ultimate “comedian’s comedian” with the reach to match. He is always in demand, invited to headline virtually every comedy festival in the country, and is 1/3 of the faces behind the massively successful comedy festival- Skankfest- which is one of the hottest tickets in comedy. Speaking of skanks, he’s also one third of Legion of Skanks, one of the longest running podcasts in the country, with a massive following. He’s a regular in the Rogansphere and a sought after guest on every comedy podcast. He just launched a beloved viral game show podcast- StoryWarz that hosts some of the top comedians in the world, competing against each other to become the Story Warrior of the week. And that’s just scratching the surface. His new special, They/Them has over 2 million views and counting, because he’s the undisputed king of crowdwork. Jay has built his empire the old fashioned way- straight up talent. And he’s not going away anytime soon.
JORDAN JENSEN
Jordan could very well be the breakout story of the year. Her rise has been meteoric, fueled by a “take no prisoners” stage presence and a podcasting footprint that has made her one of the most sought-after names in the country. She’s co-host of the hit podcast Bein Ian with Jordan. With 100,000 subscribers after only 3 short years, this basement show taped in Brooklyn has brought in more than a handful of six figure episodes, and boasts some top tier guests like Bobby Lee, Andrew Santino, Tom Segura and Ron Bennington. She just had her feature film debut in Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On” and Deadline named her one of the comedians ready to break big. Her new special, “Take Me With You” was featured as a Billboard Critics Pick for the best specials to stream right now, and she’s getting media attention for her straight up blunt honesty. She’s also got over 600k followers on Instagram, and she’s just warming up.
DAN SODER
Following his departure from Billions, and SiriusXM’s The Bonfire, Soder has gone full-throttle back into stand-up, reminding everyone that he is one of the most naturally funny human beings on the planet. 500k follow him on Instagram, and it seems like they’re all buying tickets because his Golden Retriever of Comedy Tour is on fire. This massive national tour, partnering with Outback Presents, saw him headlining legendary theaters like the Wang Theatre in Boston and the Miller Theater in Philadelphia, proving his drawing power has reached a new level. 2025 was the year his solo podcast, Soder, came into its own, maintaining a loyal “Soder-verse” that follows him everywhere. Beyond his own show, he’s become the a go-to guest for every major pod in the scene, from Are You Garbage? to Stavvy’s World. He represents the perfect middle ground of 2025 comedy: he’s edgy enough for the clubs but has that “Golden Retriever” likability that makes him one of the few comics who can bridge the gap between die-hard comedy nerds and mainstream audiences.
ROY WOOD JR.
2025 has been a giant year for Roy Wood Jr. He released a beloved and critically acclaimed special Lonely Flowers on Hulu, published a bestselling book, The Man of Many Fathers, hosted a new CNN Series, Have I Got News, and released an independent film, Love Brooklyn that got screened at Sundance. He was a guest on the View, hosted the 85th Peabody Awards, and hosted the WGA Awards in New York City. He hosted Going Going Gone: The Magic of the Home Run for Roku and Amazon Prime announced he’ll be one of the stars for their new Barbershop series (based on the movie) playing an ex-con turned Barber. With half a million followers on TikTok and Instagram, Roy Wood Jr. is a trusted voice in comedy, and a frontrunner for the title of comedian of the year.
MATTEO LANE
Mixing high-brow culture with low-brow laughs, Matteo’s year was defined by selling out venues worldwide and becoming a global brand through sheer charisma and elite-level joke writing. Matteo cornered media this year, with a brand new hour, The Al Dente Special, released on Hulu; a brand new bestselling book, Your Pasta Sucks, a highly successful tour, Can’t Stop Talking, and that’s just the basics. All of his efforts paid off with plenty of top tier media attention, including an appearance on the Today Show, the CBS Morning Show with a controversy that went viral when Gayle King used a certain word while talking with him , and The View, plus a major profile in GQ complete with photo shoot. And Pride.com did a steamy profile including 31 pics because Matteo is more than just a top ranking headliner, he’s also a pretty face. Lane was in a romcom, Maintenance Required, that aired on Prime. If that’s not enough, he also has 2 million followers on Tiktok, and another 2 million on Instagram. And all of this- without a podcast- proving it can be done.
JIM NORTON
Jim Norton left his long time job with SiriusXM in 2025, as host of the Jim and Sam Show, which was an outgrowth of the Opie and Jim Show which was a spinoff of the Opie and Anthony show. And it hasn’t slowed him down a bit. His podcast, Jim Norton Can’t Save You was an instant hit when it launched in January and Jim consistently gets some of the best guests of any podcast in comedy. His new stand up special, Unconceivable debuted on Youtube, and currently has over 650,000 views, with overwhelming love from his fans. And he’s gone viral multiple times this year,- most notably for jumping a fence and sneaking in to visit the house that graced the first Black Sabbath album cover– and his clips on instagram regularly get six and even seven figure views. Plus he got tapped for a very special episode of Hells Kitchen. Jim has always had a hardcore audience but a few changes in his life – leaving his morning show on SiriusXM and his recent marriage seem to be helping him to reach another level in his career.
ATSUKO OKATSUKA
With her unique rhythm and a massive Hulu debut, Atsuko has carved out a space entirely her own, becoming a viral sensation who can back it up with a heavy-hitting hour. Okatsuka is everywhere, thanks in part, to her new stand up special, Father, that is topping plenty of top 10 lists. She had a giant tour, The Full Grown Tour, with 200 shows in 100 cities and 20 countries. She’s already announced her follow up tour, The Big Bowl Tour which is underway now and will continue through 2026. This year, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) named her one of the top performing live acts of the year. She won a Wowie Award, and Margaret Cho named her the heir to her own kingdom. She crushed the stage, but that’s not all. She had a voice role in Pixar’s ELIO, was just cast in Apple’s original film Outcome, with Jonah Hill directing and starring Keanu Reeves, and she was selected to be a part of the comedy documentary about mental health, Group Therapy. 6 Million followers on Instagram can’t be wrong. Atsuko is a star.
CHRIS DISTEFANO
“Chrissy Chaos” continues to build his empire. With a relentless energy and a massive touring business, Distefano has become the blueprint for the modern, multi-platform comedy star. He also had some impressive 2025 res riz. Distefano joined the Daily Show this year as a contributor with his own segment, “Can Chris Solve It” and its such a perfect fit we can’t believe nobody thought of this sooner. He released a hot new Hulu Special, It’s Just Unfortuante. He headlined the Moontower Comedy Festival, currently the biggest comedy fest in the world. He was brought in to guest host Jimmy Kimmel Live. He was invited to, and attended the Riyadh Comedy Festival. He was a Celebrity Jeopardy contestant. He was picked to be on the Hard Rock Hotel’s Jersey Shore Roast. Plus Distefano continues to host insanely popular podcasts, History Hyenas and Chrissy Chaos. He’s so damn busy that he had to put other giant podcasts on hiatus. And he’s got 1.6 Million TikTok Followers. He’s a giant, and has earned a spot at the top of the comedy food chain.
ZARNA GARG
IN 2024 Zarna Garg not only made our top 10 list, she won! And the last thing we wrote about her was, “Expect to see her back on this list in 2025!” And here she is. The “Aunty” of the comedy world had a year of incredible firsts, moving from TikTok fame to a major studio special and proving that her “practical” comedy has a massive, mainstream appetite. Her special, Practical People Win is her second hour special and she’s only been performing for about 5 years. She released her memoir, This American Woman, which became an instant New York Times Bestseller. She’s been profiled by People Magazine, the New York Times and the Washington Post, appeared on the Today Show, was invited to appear on Martha Stewart’s Podcast, headlined the Moontower Comedy Festival, and she’s still developing a sitcom for CBS with Mindy Kaling. Add in her 2 million followers on Instagram and 1.2 million on TikTok and you have a comedy giant who won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
JOE LIST
In 2025, Joe List further cemented his position as one of the most prolific and creatively ambitious voices in comedy, proving he is a top contender for Comedian of the Year. His year was defined by high-level DIY projects, creative evolution, and a dominant presence across every medium. List’s fourth stand-up special, Small Ball (2025), is widely considered his strongest work to date.The special chronicles his transition into fatherhood, using his signature self-deprecating style to mine new laughs from the anxieties of childbirth and married life. Demonstrating his skill behind the scenes, List independently arranged a 27-city, one-night-only theatrical event in May 2025, allowing fans to experience the special as an audience before its digital release. After its theatrical run, the special premiered on Punchup Live and YouTube, where his previous specials have already amassed over 14 million views. He also released his first feature-length documentary Tom Dustin: Portrait of a Comedian in 2025. Released in theaters (including NYC’s Quad Cinema), the film received significant accolades. List produced and performed at the New York Comedy Festival with h “Man of the Year: A Night with Joe List and Friends” at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC. The sold-out event served as a celebration of List’s genuine voice and steady rise, featuring performances from close friends. Joe’s podcast game continues to be strong, with three fan favorite podcasts: Tuesdays with Stories (alongside Mark Normand) and his own series Mindful Metal Jacket. He also remains a central figure of The Regz with Robert Kelly, Dan Soder, and Luis J. Gomez.. And finally, his YouTube channel remains a hub for creative experimentation, featuring various short films and comedy sketches like Civic Duty and Gut Punch that continue to go viral and bolster his digital presence.
