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Since early 2013, I’ve been involved in and surveying the comedy world to find the up-and-coming names that I believe represent the future crop of comedic stars. I first found via YouTube — performers like Bo Burnham (2013), and even Michelle Wolf (2015), and at an off-beat LA show at UCB Theater Jaboukie Young-White (2017). Often in my field in journalism I speak to casting agents, comedy club bookers and producers of live comedy shows, festivals, and late-night TV; execs at networks like Comedy Central, HBO, IFC, and TBS.
Based on which names came up most often, I have pared the list down to a strong 10 comedy writers and performers whose stars seem to be rising fastest. So, be on the look out…let’s follow them and see how well I’ve done this year…2020…did I have 20/20 vision…get it…let’s see. (yep, another vision pun)
Janelle James
Instagram: @janellejamescomedy
Location: Los Angeles
A direct recommend from legendary Chris Rock himself, (similar to how her did Leslie Jones for SNL) to the world might be all you need to get onboard with Janelle James. Her unapologetic fearlessness onstage has taken her up the ranks through New York and now L.A. Along the way, she has scored a Netflix semi special in 2018 and landed a writing gig on Showtime’s Black Monday.
Ayo Edebiri
Instagram:@ayoedebiri
Location: New York
We’ve have all been infected by Ayo Edebiri’s young energy and endless excited interest for the embarrassing grind of life as a 20-something in New York City. Edebiri has quickly made her name for herself in only a few short years, writing for the New Yorker, BET’s The Rundown, and NBC’s Sunnyside and with her sketch group Lo-Fi, or co-hosting her with Olivia Craighead. So, expect to see so much more from Edebiri soon.
Hannah Einbinder
Twitter: @Hannah Einbinder
Location: Los Angeles
Hannah Einbinder and her penchant for restrained silliness (like ingratiating herself to the crowd like she’s in a classic noir) has quickly managed to capture the attention of indie comedy taste-makers and network suits alike, becoming one of the fastest-rising stars to come from the stand-up-comedy world in quite some time. Of course, Einbinder has put the work in, hitting as many open mics and dive bars as she possibly could over the last few years, honing her refreshingly absurdist charm (with a bit of a Billie Eilish-ish flair).
Vanessa Gonzalez
Twitter:@buhnessa
Location: Los Angeles
Vanessa Gonzalez swooped on up from being one of Austin’s best comedians (as voted on annually by the Austin Chronicle) to scoring JFL New Faces, a Comedy Central half-hour special, and an HBO Latino special to boot. Her low-key delivery makes her incredibly crafty writing land big laughs, much to the delight of so many audiences she has performed for, whether it be at big crowds at SXSW or in intimate settings like L.A.’s hot new comedy-centric theater, Dynasty Typewriter.
Jacqueline Novak
Twitter:@jacquelinenovak
Location: New York
If you didn’t get a chance to see Jacqueline Novak’s one-woman show called Get on Your Knees, produced by Natasha Lyonne and Mike Birbiglia, the first thing to know is it’s about so much more than blow jobs. A glimpse into her innate charm and intellectual approach to the seemingly mundane: from what to wear on TV, how to sit in a chair, etc. Novak has proved herself to be a woman of deeply inventive comedy.
Rachel Pegram
Twitter:@rachelpegram
Location: New York
You might know her from her appearances in Adam Sandler’s The Week Of, or Don’t Think Twice, or The Chris Gethard Show, or Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, or … well, you get the idea. Pegram’s ability to be this prolific is thanks to the fact that she makes being just plain funny look easy, something Just for Laughs clearly realized when it featured her inits New Faces showcase this year. Pegram is a master at delivering monologues that slip in and out of characters, building to punch lines that she seemingly pulls from the ether.
Luc Ashley
Instagram: @Luc.Ashley
Location: Los Angeles
Stand-up comedian and actress, Luc Ashley, delivers quick-witted amusement and memorable physical comedy in all of her performances. Whether you saw her as the host of the comedy show on Amazon Prime, Laugh After Dark, or acting alongside her cast on her digital sketch comedy series. You are sure to experience Luc in true comedic form. Luc unabashedly covers topics of all areas from race and relationships to parenthood.As a black female comedy screenwriter and sketch comedy writer, she brings to every scene both memorable and hilarious scenes and dialogue between all of the characters on set.
Catherine Cohen
Twitter:@catccohen
Location: New York
Cohen is a big part of a new wave in comedy, much of which happens in NYC, that blends a bit of musical theater, stand-up, and performance art in an act of mischievous behavior, which you can see in her live at the Cabernet Nightclub at Club Cumming. Debra DiGiovanni
Twitter:@debradigiovanni
Location: Los Angeles
If you ask around, many a stand-up comedian who knows better will admit that they do not want to come up after Debra DiGiovanni. She is a rare breed of comedian these days with her rhythm, delivery, quick energy, and immediate charm. DiGiovanni has won (by force) the comedy circuit in her home country of Canada and has come down south to amaze U.S. crowds.
Jamie Loftus
Twitter:@jamieloftusHELP
Location: Los Angeles
Calling Jamie Loftus a multi-hyphenate might not be good enough in describing how new and interesting and amazing she and all her comedy really are. Often, she ends up being the comedy equal of a crazy professional writer, too. Aside from that, she has done a whole solo show about losing her virginity from different POVs style; taught herself animation and made a whole series of wonderful and dark cartoons featured at Comedy Central.
Release ID: 88946556