The 2020 Awards for Remarkable Achievements of Exceptional Noteworthiness for Unrelated Things in Comedy

Some of the best comedy moments defy categorization but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve recognition. Some of these ‘awards’ are genuine and some of them are a little tongue in cheek. Here are some of our favorite award-worthy happenings in comedy in 2020.

Also don’t forget to vote on the best of everything in comedy this year– books, albums, specials, stand up of the year and more! And read all of our 2020 year in comedy coverage here.

On to the Excies!

The 5rd Annual Colin Quinn Award for Twitter Excellence

As all CQ fans know, Twitter kind of sucks. But every now and then you uncover a gem of a Twitter account. This year’s award goes to someone who is hilarious every damn day whether she’s posting great clips commenting on the rest of us idiots or just being silly. We gave the first three to Colin Quinn, Bonnie McFarlane,  Adrienne Iapalucci and Jessica Kirson.  And this year, when deciding whose Tweets made us laugh the most, the names that kept coming up were Colin Quinn, Bonnie McFarlane, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Jess Kirson proving their MVP status still holds up.  And this year, we add to the list, a Twitter account that will actually make you laugh in between everyone else promoting podcasts they’re appearing on– Tim Dillon.  For his commitment to being funny above all else, and being willing to go to almost insane lengths in the name of the joke, Tim Dillon is the 5th Annual CoQuATE recipient!

The Showing Congress How It’s Done Award

This brand new award goes to Mike Birbiglia who early on in the Pandemic led the way with helping people who are so important to comedy but often forgotten.  Birbiglia launched TIPYOURWAITSTAFF.COM, a website and series of shows designed to help waitstaff and other club workers during 2020 downtime.  John Mulaney, Gary Gulman, Maria Bamford, Nikki Glaser, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Roy Wood Jr. and more all performed in the name of TYWS and helped to raise over $600,000 and you can still donate to your home club or any club.  An amazing act of caring in a much needed time and place. If only our government felt the same.

You Were Right All Along Award

This award goes to W. Kamau Bell for consistently creating excellent television on his CNN series,  United Shades of America, infusing comedy into reality to help educate America.  If you look at Kamau’s episode history you will see he and his team have been consistently ahead of the game in flagging issues that need addressing.  Better than any late night show, Bell and his crew aren’t sensationalizing or pandering, they’re exploring,  and entertaining which is something sorely lacking elsewhere on television.

Funniest Comedy Audio Book That Wasn’t a Comedy Audio Book

When you get bored of podcasts in your car, and you’re in between radio shows, and you’ve worn out your playlists, audio books are an amazing way to pass the time on a long trip. The funniest audio book of the year that wasn’t “written” and wasn’t supposed to be a comedy goes to THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7: THE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS.  If the Chicago 7 movie piqued your interest, and you want more, this audio book includes excerpts from actual trial transcripts. No dramatizations,.  And you will laugh till you pee.  And you’ll also sooth your social justice conscience- its amazing how many of the speeches and testimony from this 1969 trial still resonates, loudly, in 2020. J.K. Simmons is phenomenal as Judge Hoffman, Jeff Daniels plays both sides of the aisle voicing two roles- a lawyer for the defense and prosecution, and Luke Kirby (who wowed us all with his portrayal of Lenny Bruce this year) was on fire as William Kunstler. Available at Audible.

Parading Your Privilege Award

A brand new award for 2020 goes to Kevin Hart, who previously was an Excies winner for his constant media presence.  This year, his award is for shamelessly showing his fanbase his privilege in his new Netflix Special, No Fucks Given.  He truly does not give a fuck- it is the most honest special of the year, but it definitely veers uncomfortable.  Coming to you live from his own living room large enough to film a special in, complete with an audience, Hart covers topics like flying private, and how not to look at the regular people as you are escorted to the front of every line at Disneyland.  You know, relatable.

Most Self Congratulatory Award 

Alec Baldwin doesn’t need an award, he has already congratulated himself.  So he wins the award for the most eye rolling self congratulations.   At the end of the Saturday Night Live episode that followed the November 7th announcement that declared Biden the President Elect, Baldwin held up a sign that said, “You’re Welcome.”  Thanks Al.  You did it. All you. Yup.

The Second bi-Annual Non Stop Social Media Activist Award:

This year, with the election and various causes taking the spotlight,  the award for the most active activist on social media had many contenders.  But none could outpace Larry Charles with his tireless fight against Trump, and every cultural outrage this year.  Larry you are on the right side of history. We’re with you, and we commend you.  But sometimes you can just take a picture with someone famous. You know, break it up.

The Quarantine Exposure Award: 

It seemed like nobody worked harder to get noticed and stay relevant during Covid Quarantine than Sam Morril.  With multiple podcasts, web-series, social media projects, Sam was generating media, and getting media publicity straight through 2020. And he released two specials, self produced, and lived on two coasts all in a quarantine year.  Sam, you got your shit out there better than anyone this year.  You can take a week off.  You deserve it.

 

Best Podcast That We Can’t Believe Hasn’t Broken Up Yet:

My Wife Hates Me.  Rich Vos and Bonnie McFarlane are endlessly hilarious in one of the funniest podcasts anywhere.  They bicker, they beat each other up emotionally, and its all for your entertainment.  It’s really the only way you can forget your problems and the world’s problems.

3rd Annual Most Dangerous Podcast Award

Two years ago The Joe Rogan Experience won our award for most dangerous podcast after he changed the direction of a major billion dollar company by talking Elon Musk into getting high.  Last year’s most dangerous podcast award went to Ari Shaffir but we won’t bring up that reason again.  But this year’s recipient of the Most Dangerous Podcast Award is far more frightening than the rest. This year we recognize Chip Chipperson for his in your face style of journalism, always going deep with his guests to get the inside story behind the story about the other story.  Goddammit, its Chippa’s fucking podcast. Chippie Kay Ay Futher Mucker.

Cruelist Corporate Co-opt of a Great Podcast:

Josh Adam Meyers came up with the best podcast idea ever- counting down 500 Greatest Albums on Rolling Stone magazine’s original list.  Then the magazine he honored tried not once, but twice to pull the rug out- first by changing up the list, and then by doing their own version of The 500.  Here’s an idea Rolling Stone- pay Josh Adam Meyers to do the podcast for Rolling Stone Magazine.  Everyone wins. Or could have. But we will stick with The 500.

Taking One for the Team Award:

Sometimes you gotta take one for the team and this year, nobody did that more selflessly, or more poetically than Chris Distefano.   On the set of Colin Quinn & Friends, a Drive In Comedy Show on HBO Max, Distefano takes the dive. First, by going first in the lineup, while it’s still light out and the crowd isn’t quite sure how things are working yet, and then later, by being the fall guy and saying he bombed, over and over again. It’s one of the most hilarious parts of the special.  You want to show what things are like backstage during a comedy show? Someone’s gotta eat it, and DiStefano stepped up and took a huge bite.  Brilliant!

The Swing and a Miss Award for a Comedy Competition Series

Every year someone tries to do a comedy competition series, and every year, someone fails.  None are great, but some are really really awful.  This year’s swing and a miss award goes to TBS’s Tournament of Laughs. What’s that? Never heard of it?  Yes, that was the best thing about the show– nobody really saw it.  We watched every delicious wonderfully cringy terrible moment.  Comedians compete in a March Madness Bracket from Hell by submitting videos to air on television.   It wasn’t all bad. Chip Chipperson came in second to a dragon with a pet dog.  Tim Dillon was hilariously uncomfortable in every video he made. Come to think of it, this is must see tv.  What are you people waiting for? Renew this!

Bravest Special:

It always takes bravery to go on stage assuming people are going to love you and laugh at your jokes, but Jeremiah Watkins took bravery to a new level by recording an hour with his family in the front row and his hometown friends around the room. If you never understood why so many comedians record their specials outside of their hometowns,  it’s so their family and friends are NOT there.   It’s called Family Reunion and it’s fantastic fun.  Ever wanted to know how Jeremiah got to be so weirdly fun? Rent Family reunion.

Most Dramatic Stage Exit:

This one hands down (literally) goes to Big Jay Oakerson, whose crowd work got under an audience member’s skin so much, that the dude went up to the stage and yanked Jay off by his ankles.  Thankfully Jay was okay, but that video flew around the internet faster than a fart on live tv. Exit, stage forward.

 

Second Best Election Upset in 2020

Who knew there’d be two great elections with two incumbents voted out of office.  Ari Shaffir defeats all three Skanks, Luis J Gomez, Big Jay Oakerson and Dave Smith in the Legions of Skanks Presidential Election by a landslide.  Podcasting will never be the same again.

Best Feature Film Debut/Cameo By a Radio Show Co-Host

Congratulations to Gail Bennington, who got her first role on a feature film this year in Dennis Duggan’s Love, Weddings & Other Disasters.  Gail looked amazing and absolutely crushed her scene as “Cousin Tina” in the coffee shop scene.  Wooooooo! 

The Best of the “New” Comedians

We’re watching the birth of a new kind of comedian. These comics may not be headlining your favorite club right away, but there’s a financial future for YouTubers, TikTokers, Instagramers, Diggers, Buzzers and Creators who sidestepped comedy clubs, UCB, and any other traditional routes to fame. They will be in movies, they will release books, they may be cast on SNL, they will definitely get sitcoms and podcasts, and they may even tour. More than just Sarah Cooper, names like Marsha Belsky who did the 100 Tampons Song, Robyn Schall whose video about making 2020 goals went crazy viral, Jordan Firstman is making big numbers for his impressions of types of people instead of celebrities.  Shannon Fiedler is also doing impressions of 2020 types and killing it. And stand up comics making the transition too, like Carmen Lynch who made the New York Times for her shrewd tik tok moves. We’ve got our eye on all of you.

Best Overall Trend in 2020:

Reunion Shows!  Remember back in April when the cast of That Thing You Do! reunited and watched the movie together on zoom? It was so fun and cool and great and unique, right? So fun.

Worst Overall Trend in 2020:

Reunion Shows (enough already)!  Fast Times, Fresh Prince, Veep, Back to the Future, The Nanny, Happy Days, The Office, Scandal, Melrose Place, 90210, High School the Musical, Lizzy Mcguire, The State, Mean Girls, Hamilton, Everyone Loves Raymond, The Goonies, Desperate Housewives, Dazed and Confused, Lord of the Rings, Splash, Gilmore Girls, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Rec, Scream, The Princess Bride, Cheaper by the Dozen, My So Called Life, The Parent Trap, Seinfeld, Family Ties, Superbad, Schitts Creek, Frasier, Legally Blonde, Teen Wolf, Ghostbusters, Voyager, Father of the Bride, The X Files, Pitch Perfect, My So Called Life, The Proud Family, Girlfriends, Watchmen,  Hocus Pocus, The Sound of Music, Game of Thrones, Hannibal, House, Orphan Black, Ferris Bueller, Succession, N Sync, Fresh off the Boat, Pretty Little Liars, Just Shoot Me..just shoot us! There were so many reunions that we didn’t have time to even care when there was a great one or two in the crowd.  Yes it was all for a great cause, but how many do we need? Can we space this shit out? Some of these shows haven’t even ended yet.

Most Anticipated Projects of 2021!

Look, we don’t have a clue what’s actually going to be happening, but here is a preview of some of the projects that are supposed to happen in 2021, that we’re most looking forward to.  “Flatbush Misdemeanors” one of our favorite web series created by Dan Perlman and Kevin Iso is in production with Showtime, Ms Pat has a tv show that will be must watch coming to BET +,  Ricky Velez should have a comedy special coming soon to HBO, Joe Pera’s Bathroom Book will be out in 2021, we’re excited about. Bridget Everett’s HBO Show “Somebody Somewhere“, and Michael Che has a sketch comedy series coming to HBO Max. In movies, of course we’re going to watch Coming 2 America and Ghostbusters Afterlife. We’ll be watching Ted Danson’s “Mr. Mayor” when it debuts in January

We Miss You So Much Award:

2020 was a massive year for loss. We lost giants.  Carl Reiner, Jerry Stiller, and Fred Willard were creative genius. Norm Crosby and John Witherspoon were legendary talents.  The shock of losing Vic Henley, is impossible to describe, and while he didn’t die from Covid, we can’t help but think about whether more could have been done to help him if Covid wasn’t happening.  The comedy world lost Catie Lazarus, a tremendous writer, performer, storyteller and host, to cancer.  Devastating.  Joe Luna died documenting his battle with Covid. It was a heartbreaking to witness. And there were other deaths, comedians we never had the chance to get to know, whose communities were terribly saddened by the losses.

We also lost so many important comedy institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic. When we heard that Austin’s Cap City was closing after 35 years of laughs, it was crushing. It was like losing a friend. Austin has become an epicenter for great comedy, great audiences, and great times. Marjorie Coyle and Colleen McGarr are so important to comedy not only in Austin but around the country.  Cap City was not only a place A list headliners came to perform, it was also a club where comics wanted to tape specials.  Bill Hicks, Patton Oswalt, Ari Shaffir were just a few of the comics who recorded at Cap City. Home club to Dudley & Bob + Matt, and a place where legends like Ron White could pop in, Cap City was an important part of comedy.

Just last month we got the heartbreaking news that The Creek and the Cave in Long Island City, NYC was closing. The Creek and The Cave was a home to so many artists at all levels of comedy.  It was a place where young performers could develop from open mic’ers into middle acts, and a place where legends came to work out shows.  The Creek’s Owner Rebecca Trent nurtured creativity and allowed performers the freedom to experiment- even if it meant failing. The Creek also nourished gigantic successes. Clubs that give a stage to headliners will always exist in some form or another, because there is money to be made.  Stages that value art over profit, are not only important, they are integral to any artistic scene. But in the 21st century, spaces like the Creek are exceedingly rare.  Rebecca was always putting the artist first, donating space to workshop ideas, allowing free shows, offering comics of all abilities the much needed room to test waters.  The loss of the Creek and the Cave is irreplaceable in New York Comedy and will be missed.

We also got the news this year that Dangerfield’s was closing its doors for good. Located on the Upper East Side in New York City, this was the original club that Rodney Dangerfield had opened 50 years ago, and has remained in continuous operation ever since. Dangerfield’s no longer had the prestige that it once held in New York City comedy, but it was a time capsule, that once closed cannot be re-created  If you ever went to see a show there, you were transported back to a different era, more upscale than you might expect from a club. And rumor had it that Rodney’s office remained exactly as he had left it. While the club has announced that they hope to reopen at another location in the future, the loss of that space itself is a loss of a priceless piece of comedy history. Several Young Comedians specials were filmed there, and virtually every comedy legend has performed on the stage.

Also announced this year, DC’s Drafthouse Comedy has permanently closed, Dallas Comedy House has shut its doors. The Improv Comedy at Harrah’s in Las Vegas has reportedly closed. UCB closed its last remaining theater and training center in New York City, The latest news this week is that  Upright Citizens Brigade’s Sunset Boulevard theater was sold. Meanwhile Chicago’s legendary Second City Theater is for sale, and Second City’s Toronto  theater is gone, but the brand will live on. Reports say they will return to a new space.  Chicago’s iO Theater permanently closed over the summer.

We miss you all, already.

 

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