Canadian Comedy Awards

Last updated
Canadian Comedy Awards
Canadian Comedy Awards trophy 2010.png
2010 trophy
Awarded forBest comedy works of previous year
Location Toronto
Country Canada
First awarded2000
Website canadiancomedyawards.org

The Canadian Comedy Awards (CCA) is an annual ceremony that awards the Beaver [1] [2] for achievements in Canadian comedy in live performance, radio, film, television, and Internet media. The awards were founded and produced by Tim Progosh in 2000.

Contents

The CCA have been held in different cities, most often in Toronto and London, Ontario. Between 2003 and 2015, the awards were held as part of the Canadian Comedy Awards Festival, with showcase performances by nominees and other comedic talent. The Comedy Network broadcast the first two award ceremonies and several specials of festival performances. These broadcasts have earned two Gemini Award nominations.

The awards are artist-driven with a mandate "To recognize, celebrate and promote Canadian achievements in comedy at home and abroad." They are run through a non-profit organization and volunteer committees, drawing membership from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the Canadian Actors' Equity Association (CAEA), the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), and the Comedy Association. Some awards are determined by industry members while others are open to public voting.

History

Actor, director and producer Tim Progosh founded the Canadian Comedy Awards (CCA) after touring for over 20 years in sketch, improv and stand-up comedy. He felt that there was a distance between stand-up comedians and other comedic artists, and that stand-up and comedy as a whole wasn't receiving adequate national recognition. With the establishment of The Comedy Network in late 1997, [3] Progosh felt the time was right to create a national comedy award and comedy hall of fame. [4]

Progosh brought together an advisory board which included himself, Mark Breslin of Yuk Yuk's comedy clubs, Andrew Alexander of The Second City, Sydd Capp, and representatives from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the Canadian Actors' Equity Association (CAEA), the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC). Award categories were created for live comedy, film and television, with the mandate "To recognize, celebrate and promote Canadian achievements in comedy at home and abroad." [4]

Philanthropist Bluma Appel helped to establish the awards, and supported a bursary for emerging comics. Breslin noted that it was the first time "that anyone from the Canadian establishment took comedy seriously." [5] The first Canadian Comedy Awards ceremony was held in 2000 at Toronto's Masonic Temple. [6] The Comedy Network televised the first two annual awards ceremonies, but due to lack of sponsorship the broadcast deal ended in 2001. [1]

In 2003, non-profit organization the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE) was incorporated to organize and promote the awards, [7] and the ceremonies moved from Toronto to London, Ontario. The CCFE also organized the Canadian Comedy Awards Festival (CCAF), with showcase performances by the nominees in sketch, stand-up and improvisational comedy, workshops, seminars and special events leading up to the awards gala. As the festival grew during the following years, The Comedy Network began broadcasting Best of the Fest variety specials. [7]

Following sponsorship, the CCFA moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, in 2008 and Saint John, New Brunswick, in 2009. The awards then returned to Toronto, which could more easily accommodate the festival which then had 38 shows over five days. [8] During this period, categories were also broadened and added to recognize emerging media such as podcasts and web series. In 2013, the awards moved to Ottawa and had its first francophone presence at the festival. [9]

In 2015, the license for the awards expired and control of the Canadian Comedy Awards reverted to the trademark holder, Funny Business, Inc. During this same period, Progosh and the CCFE decided to focus on creating a home for the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame. [10] The awards were put on hold until the spring of 2016. Due to budget and time limitations, the industry award categories were suspended for the transitional year and only the public voting categories were considered. Two additional public categories – Best Live Production and Best Live Ensemble – were added to compensate for the lack of industry categories. [11] The 18th awards similarly covered an 18-month eligibility period and were held in 2018. [12] Thereafter, the awards returned to a yearly schedule, considering the works of the previous calendar year. [10]

Governing body

Until 2015, the CCA were organized by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), a non-profit corporation registered in 2003. Its volunteer committees sought input from comedy professionals on all aspects of the awards: criteria, marketing, programming and communications. [8]

The Membership and Communications Committee promoted industry awareness and participation in the awards, oversaw all communications to and from the membership, and advised and coordinated with media coverage. The Nominations and Awards Committee oversaw the nomination process, category criteria, jury committees, voting procedures, trophies and prizes. The Programming Committee developed programs and organized talent for various events, the awards gala, and community events. [13]

The CCA membership is made up of industry professionals, largely from the following member organizations: [14] [15]

Awards and categories

Writing on the inaugural awards ceremony, Alan Neister described the trophies as "Plexiglas maple leaves, etched with the outline of a happy, dancing beaver." [16] In some ceremonies, awards have been given for being "pretty funny" in each category instead of "best". [1] As of the 2018 ceremony, the CCA has awarded a total of 393 Beavers. [17]

The number of award categories recognized at each ceremony has most often been between 19 and 24, though categories added for Internet and multimedia works saw the categories peak at 30 in the mid-2010s. Time and budget limitations resulted in the categories being reduced to 9 in 2016. [18] Following this transitional year the number of categories was streamlined to 22, largely by combining the award categories for male and female performers. [19]

Categories are divided by format, organized into those for live performances (including stand-up, improvisation, and plays), television, and film. Internet media was added in 2008 and categories that considered works across different formats were labelled as multimedia. [20]

Current categories

Public voting categories:

Industry voting categories:

Notes:

^A not awarded in 2016, a transitional year
^B awarded separately to male and female performers, 2001–2015
^C awarded separately to male and female performers, 2000–2015
^D awarded separately for series and specials, 2000–2009
^E awarded separately to male and female performers, 2014–2015
^F web series and TV series had shared direction, writing and performance categories in 2013

Discontinued categories

Special award categories

Juried categories were discontinued in 2016. These panels had previously given awards for special achievement including lifetime achievement awards and awards for non-artists who had made significant contributions to Canadian comedy. The juries also inducted people into the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame.

Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame

The CCA established the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame and inducted its first members in 2000. In 2013, a permanent home was sought for the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame and the CCA presented proposals to the cities of Hamilton, Niagara Falls, and Ottawa, Ontario. The cities declined due to uncertainties of funding. [26] The Just for Laughs Museum in Montreal had closed in 2011 after operating at a loss. [27]

The proposal had called for an interactive museum with a comedy club for performances. [26] In lieu of a permanent museum, interactive exhibits were set up at ByWard Market during the 2014 CCAF, and school groups were invited to participate in workshops. [28]

Nominations and voting

Nominees for a CCA must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants, have been born in Canada or have produced the majority of their work in Canada. [29] Other criteria varied year by year, but generally the eligibility period was the previous calendar year; works had to have premiered in Canada during that period and live performers had to have performed in Canada at least once during that period. [30] In some years there was a nominal fee for the first person to nominate a person or work; in 2018 this fee was $20. [11]

From 2000 to 2015, the nomination process involved about 170 jury members selected each year by the CCFE. The jury members, whose identities were kept secret, would vote on the nominees submitted through the CCA website. Their top five selections in each category would become the final nominees, voted on by the CCA membership. The jury's votes were weighted for about 30% of the final result. [31]

Voting was conducted online since 2000, [28] making the CCA one of the first national awards in Canada to have online voting. Two-minute clips of nominees were made available online, [31] allowing nominees to gain exposure across the industry. [4]

Public voting was introduced by 2008, [32] [2] initially limited to a few categories. In 2016, time and budget issues precluded organizing any industry-voting categories, so public-voting was expanded to nine categories. [11] When industry awards returned the following year, rather than a jury there were two rounds of voting. In the first round, members chose up to five nominees for each category; these were totalled and the top five became the final nominees for a second round of voting. [11]

Ceremonies and festivals

The awards ceremonies have been described as placing "gags over glamour", with wit and improvisational skill shown by hosts, presenters and recipients. Leatrice Spevack of The Globe and Mail noted that the CCAs stood above other award shows on its entertaining acceptance speeches. [1]

Festivals

CCA Festivals were held each year from 2002 to 2015. The festivals took place over three to five days, depending on sponsorship and the availability of talent, volunteers, and venues. The awards ceremony was held either on the final evening, or on the second-last evening with a Last Laughs Gala on the final night. The largest festivals had two to three dozens events, with more than one hundred performers. [8] [32] Comedy shows featured the nominees and comics from the host region, with stand-up, sketch, improv and one-person shows, [33] competitive improvisational games, [34] seminars, workshops, [15] [35] [36] and interactive exhibits. [28] Some festivals have also included celebrity hockey games with comedians and alumni of the host city's professional hockey team. [15] [37]

Host cities and venues

Cities in Ontario have hosted all but two of the CCA award ceremonies. Toronto has most frequently hosted the awards, including the first ceremony and the most recent, in 2019. Galas have been held at historic venues including the Masonic Temple, [6] the Winter Garden Theatre, [34] the Isabel Bader Theatre, [38] and the Imperial Room of the Royal York hotel, [22] and at clubs The Guvernment [8] and The Docks. [1] CCAF events have been held at the city's comedy clubs including Yuk Yuk's, Second City, Comedy Bar, and Bad Dog Theatre, [33] [31] and showcase performances have been held at the Panasonic Theatre. [39]

London hosted the longest run of the awards, from 2003 to 2007. The CCA Festival began during this period, growing from three to five days of events. The CCA were hosted by Ottawa for two years, with the awards ceremony held at Centrepointe Theatre in 2013 [37] and the Ottawa Little Theatre in 2014. [4] Other CCAF venues in the nation's capital included Yuk Yuk's, Absolute Comedy, Arts Council Theatre, [40] Bell Sensplex, [37] and ByWard Market. [28]

Regina, Saskatchewan, hosted the awards and festival in 2008. [32] In 2009, the festival was hosted by Saint John, New Brunswick, [41] with the awards ceremony and Last Laugh Gala held at the Imperial Theatre. [42]

Telecast

The first awards ceremony was held at Toronto's Masonic Temple, which CTV Television Network had equipped as a television studio in the late 1990s. The ceremony was recorded for television, produced by Higher Ground Productions and directed by Bob Sorger. A one-hour version of the ceremony was broadcast on CTV at midnight on the night of Friday 7 April 2000, with the full program airing on The Comedy Network on 9 April at 9 pm. [6] The special was well received by the members of the industry it represents, who awarded Sorger the Beaver for best direction of a TV special or episode in 2001. [43] The 2001 ceremony was also televised [8] and was nominated for a Gemini Award for best writing in a comedy or variety program. [8]

In 2001, Bell Globemedia (now Bell Media) became the sole shareholder of The Comedy Network, [44] and decided to discontinue sponsoring and televising the awards ceremony. [4]

In 2006, a gala review which closed the CCA Festival was taped and broadcast by The Comedy Network. [14] The following year, showcase performances were taped and aired by The Comedy Network as two variety specials. [8] The Doo Wops – John Catucci and David Mesiano – were nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program for Canadian Comedy Awards 2007: Best of the Fest. [45] In 2008, another Best of the Fest special was taped and broadcast by The Comedy Network. [8]

In 2009, for the 10th CCA, The Comedy Network taped the awards ceremony and Last Laugh Gala for later broadcast. [8] [2] The Comedy Network also taped The Canadian Comedy Awards 10th Anniversary Special, featuring Beaver-winning comedians from the past decade; this special was broadcast in May 2010. [46]

The Comedy Network drew criticism in 2013 for broadcasting the American Comedy Awards but not the CCAs. Some felt that the national comedy channel should produce its own programming and help develop and promote domestic talent, rather than importing programming from the US. [47] [36]

Associated events

Various other shows have been organized under the Canadian Comedy Awards banner. These include the charity shows Canadian Comedy Award Nominees vs. Cancer, [48] [49] fundraisers for local charities, [50] and benefits for comics suffering from illness. [37] The CCA has also organized comedy shows for other performing arts festivals, such as Canada's Walk of Fame Festival. [51]

Criticism

Francophone exclusion

It is noticeable that the CCA is focused on English Canada. In part this is due to the groups which make up its industry membership. ACTRA, the Canadian Actors' Equity Association, and the Writers Guild of Canada exclusively represent English Canada and English-language productions. [52] The Directors Guild of Canada has uneven representation in Quebec where certain film and television professions are represented by other unions.[ citation needed ]

Quebec comedians had been holding their own award ceremony, Gala Les Olivier  [ fr ] (named after Olivier Guimond) for two years at the time of the CCA's creation.

Francophone acts were first included at the CCA Festival in 2013, when the Awards were first held in Ottawa, a largely bilingual city on the Ontario–Quebec border. [9]

The bilingual film Bon Cop, Bad Cop won three Beavers in 2007: for direction, writing and best male performance. [53] Bilingual comic Mike Ward won Comedic Artist of the Year in 2016, [18] and quadralingual comic Martha Chaves won Best Standup Comic in 2018. [54] [19]

Absent categories

The absence of a comedy album category was noted through most of the CCAs. Though historically important, comedy albums had fallen into decline in the 1980s and 1990s. Breslin explained poor album sales as a result of the dissemination of comedy through cable TV, the availability of concert videos which could be rented for less than the price of an album, and a general shift toward visual media. Although the mainstream audience moved away from albums, reduced production costs allowed comedy albums to go underground with niche-market material, such as that deemed too political or too explicit for television. [55] Following a 17-year absence, the CCAs included a Best Comedy Album category in 2017. [19] The following year, the Juno Awards revived an award for Comedy Album of the Year, which had been discontinued after 1984. [56]

It was also noted that there was an absence of categories for humour published in print media. [57] The CCAs have focused on the performing arts, while humour in Canadian literature has been recognized by the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Booth</span> Canadian actress (born 1974)

Kristin Booth is a Canadian actress..

The 29th Genie Awards were held on April 4, 2009, to honour Canadian films released in 2008. The ceremony was held at the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, and was broadcast on Global and IFC. The ceremony was hosted by Dave Foley.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best leading performance by an actor in a Canadian television series. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television to the best leading performance by an actress in a Canadian television series. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

The 1st Canadian Comedy Awards honoured the best Canadian comedy of 1999 in live performances, television and film. The awards ceremony was presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), and was held on 6 April 2000 at the Masonic Temple in Toronto, Ontario. The ceremony was hosted by Dave Thomas. A one-hour version of the ceremony was broadcast late the following night on CTV, and the full program aired on The Comedy Network on 9 April at 9 pm.

The 2nd Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, and film comedy of 2000 and was held in April 2001 at The Guvernment in Toronto, Ontario. The ceremony was hosted by Sheila McCarthy and Patrick McKenna and was televised by The Comedy Network.

The 3rd Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, and film comedy of 2001 and was held on 4 April 2002 at The Docks in Toronto, Ontario. The ceremony was hosted by Brent Butt. This was the first year that the ceremony was not televised, and the first year that no special awards were given.

The 4th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, and film comedy of 2002. The ceremony was held in 2003 in London, Ontario, concluding the three-day Canadian Comedy Awards Festival. The ceremony was hosted by the Royal Canadian Air Farce.

The 6th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, and film comedy of 2004. The awards ceremony was held on 22 October 2005 during the five-day Canadian Comedy Awards Festival in London, Ontario. The ceremony was hosted by Bruce Hunter as Rocko the Dog.

The 10th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, film, and Internet comedy of 2008. The ceremony was held at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John, New Brunswick on 2 October 2009 and was hosted by Seán Cullen.

The 11th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, film, and Internet comedy of 2009. The ceremony was held at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, on 18 October 2010 and was hosted by Dave Foley.

The 12th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, film, and Internet comedy of 2010. The ceremony was hosted by Steve Patterson and held at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, on 17 October 2011.

The 13th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, film, and Internet comedy of 2011. The ceremony was held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, on 26 August 2012 and was hosted by Alan Thicke.

The 14th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, film, and Internet comedy of 2012. The ceremony was held at Centrepointe Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, on 6 October 2013 and was hosted by Ryan Belleville.

The 15th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, film, and Internet comedy of 2013. The awards ceremony was hosted by Tom Green and held at the Ottawa Little Theatre on 14 September 2014.

The 17th Canadian Comedy Awards, presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), honoured the best live, television, film, and Internet comedy from 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2016.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series or Program is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best supporting performance by an actor in a Canadian dramatic television series or television film. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series or Program is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best supporting performance by an actress in a Canadian dramatic television series or television film. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, also known as the TOSketchfest, is an annual comedy festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, devoted to sketch comedy. Held over 12 days in March, the festival presents performances by both established and emerging sketch comedy troupes from Canada and the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Spevack, Leatrice (6 April 2002). "The Beaver goes to ... a pretty funny show". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Mooney, Megan (20 July 2009). "Canadian Comedy Awards – Nominees announced, let the voting begin..." Mooney on Theatre. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  3. "The Comedy Network Turns 10 Today and Goes Full-On-Cyber with Revolutionary Revamped Website" (Press release). Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Meet Tim Progosh of the Canadian Comedy Awards". Conversations with Influencers. Fordham PR. 6 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  5. 1 2 Ross, Val (17 July 2007). "She cherished them all". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 "Walsh, Mercer are comic royalty". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. 7 April 2000. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival | History". Canadian Comedy Awards and Festival. Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence. 2012. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Canadian Comedy Awards | History". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2017. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  9. 1 2 Desmarais, Anna (8 October 2013). "Canadian Comedy Awards Serves up Nights of National Laughter". The Charlatan. Ottawa. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  10. 1 2 "FAQ | Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "FAQ | Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. 29 May 2017. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  12. "FAQ | Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. 23 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  13. "Contact". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2017. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Canadian comic performers to celebrate at annual awards". CBC News. London, Ontario: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 "Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival Leaves them laughing in London again". Survival of the Funniest. 2005. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  16. Niester, Alan (7 April 2000). "A night for the Groucho glasses". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: The Globe and Mail Inc. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  17. "Nominations & Awards Archives". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  18. 1 2 "Nominations & Awards Archives". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2016. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  19. 1 2 3 "Nominations & Awards Archives". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2017. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  20. "Nominations & Awards Archives". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2008. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  21. Tesher, Ellie (17 July 2007). "A relentless force for good". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 23 May 2018.[ dead link ]
  22. 1 2 3 Sumi, Glenn (28 August 2012). "The Canadian Comedy Awards". NOW Magazine. Toronto: NOW Communications Inc. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  23. Iorfida, Chris (1 November 2016). "Dave Broadfoot, Royal Canadian Air Farce comedian, dead at 90". CBC News. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  24. "Halifax troupe Picnicface take 6 comedy awards". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  25. "French Immersion, Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays up for comedy honour". CBC News. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  26. 1 2 Craggs, Samantha (5 September 2013). "Hamilton looks at being home to Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  27. "Just for Laughs museum to close". CTV News. Montreal, Quebec: Bell Media. 3 November 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  28. 1 2 3 4 "Canadian Comedy Awards Festival returns to Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Postmedia Network Inc. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  29. "'Gas' nabs six noms for Canadian Comedy Awards". CTV News. Toronto: Bell Media. The Canadian Press. 26 July 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  30. "Criteria | Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  31. 1 2 3 Demara, Bruce (12 October 2011). "Awards honour cold but funny Canucks". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  32. 1 2 3 "CBC shows pick up trophies at Canadian Comedy Awards". CBC News. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 October 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  33. 1 2 Toth, Eric (16 October 2010). "Finding laughs, but finding fame?". Toronto Star. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  34. 1 2 Thornton, Pat (16 October 2010). "Comedy awards, featuring bears, booze and bay leaves". The Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  35. "Canadian comedy feted at annual awards". CBC News. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  36. 1 2 Patterson, Steve (10 October 2013). "It's Time to Take Canadian Comedy More Seriously". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Helmer, Aedan (2 October 2013). "Canadian Comedy Awards Festival prepares for one helluva funny weekend in Ottawa". Ottawa Sun. Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  38. "Steve Patterson wins best male stand-up at comedy awards". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  39. Wheeler, Brad (14 October 2011). "The Lineup: Oct 15 - 21". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  40. "Comedians invade Ottawa with Canadian Comedy Awards Festival". Metro. Ottawa: Free Daily News Group Inc. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  41. "Young People F---ing leads comedy nominations". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  42. "Canadian Comedy Award nominations announced". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 6 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  43. "Pretty funny awards". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. 12 April 2001. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  44. "2001 Annual Report" (PDF). Montreal, Quebec: Bell Canada Enterprises. 27 February 2002. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  45. "Nominees in major categories for the 23rd Gemini Awards". The Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 27 August 2008. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  46. Ryan, Andrew (14 May 2010). "Taking a break from the Daily grind". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: The Globe and Mail Inc. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  47. Conner, Shawn (5 November 2013). "Steve Patterson vows to deliver laughs to the 'Campbell River and the Vernons of the world'". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. Archived from the original on 2019-07-06. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  48. "What's On: Clubs". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  49. "What's On: Weekday Planner". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 30 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  50. Reevely, David (13 February 2014). "Free tickets to fundraisers dominate Ottawa city councillors' gift disclosures". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario: Postmedia Network Inc. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  51. Nasimok, Briane (5 July 2011). "July 5: Letters to the editor". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  52. McQuarrie, Ruth. Face to Face with Talent: Featur[ing] 2,400 Members of ACTRA and [of the] Canadian Actors' Equity Association. Toronto: ACTRA, [ca. 1985], [26], 618 p. Without ISBN.
  53. "Nominations & Awards Archives". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2007. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  54. Robert, Sarah (4 January 2018). "12 up-and-coming Canadian comedians who will be everywhere in 2018". CBC Comedy. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  55. Anderson, Jason (22 March 2000). "Take my comedy albums -- please". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  56. "The JUNO Awards Bring Back Comedy Album of the Year!". Juno Awards . The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). 30 August 2017. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  57. "Canada a country of comedians as 100 nominations announced". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: The Globe and Mail Inc. 8 March 2000. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.