The honorees of the 2016 Just for Laughs Awards, presented by Air Canada, have been announced. The Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival runs July 13 – Aug. 1 in Montreal, Canada, and features the biggest names in comedy.
Aziz Ansari, currently writing, directing and starring in the Netflix comedy “Master of None,” has been named Comedy Person of the Year. A prolific stand-up comedian, Ansari previously appeared in the NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation” and authored the book “Modern Romance.”
Sebastian Maniscalco, who played 11 sold-out performances at last year’s festival, has been named Stand-Up Comedian of the Year. Maniscalco will soon be seen on the big screen opposite Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler in “The House” and has a new special coming to Showtime in the fall.
Maria Bamford was named Breakout Comedy Star of the Year; Bamford is the star and executive producer of Netflix’s new show “Lady Dynamite,” based on her personal experiences with bipolar disorder. Bamford has previously been seen in “Arrested Development” and on Netflix’s “The Comedians of Comedy.”
The honor of Comedy Writers of the Year has been bestowed upon Mike Judge and Alec Berg, the writers, directors and executive producers of the Emmy-nominated HBO comedy “Silicon Valley.” Judge made a name for himself with the animated comedies “Beavis and Butt-head” and “King of the Hill” before transitioning into the live-action cult films “Office Space” and “Idiocracy.” Berg served as a writer, executive producer and director on the seminal hit “Seinfeld.”
The honorees will be feted at the Just for Laughs Award show, hosted by J.B. Smoove, on Friday, July 29, at the Hyatt Regency in Montreal
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