Starting today until August 30, Canadians can vote daily for their favourite stand-up comics at topcomic.siriusxm.ca
DeAnne Smith to headline the Top Comic Finale, September 26 at JFL42
TORONTO, August 9, 2019 – SiriusXM Canada, the country’s leading audio entertainment company, reveals the 18 semi-finalists selected for the 10th annual SiriusXM Top Comic competition, a nationwide search for Canada’s best in comedy. Beginning today, Canadians can vote online for the comics they want to see move on to compete live on stage at the Top Comic Finale, featuring headlining comedian DeAnne Smith as well as 2018 competition winner and JUNO Award-nominated comic Chanty Marostica.
The Finale, hosted by Canadian comic and SiriusXM host Ben Miner, will be held September 26 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto as part of JFL42 presented by SiriusXM. Tickets are $39.50 and are available at jfl42.com/act/siriusxm.
Starting today at 10 am ET through Friday, August 30 at 11:59 pm ET, Canadians can view the audition videos of the 18 semi-finalists and vote daily at topcomic.siriusxm.ca. The 2019 semi-finalists are:
Brandon Ash-Mohammed (Toronto, ON)
Kevin Banner (Hometown – Sooke, BC)
Drew Behm (Hometown – Edmonton, ON)
Kyle Bottom (Hometown – Vancouver, BC)
Sophie Buddle (Hometown – Ottawa, ON)
Adam Christie (Hometown – Toronto, ON)
Ola Dada (Hometown – Vancouver, BC)
Courtney Gilmour (Hometown – Waterloo, ON)
Nigel Grinstead (Hometown – Arnprior, ON)
Andrea Jin (Hometown – Vancouver, BC)
Chris Locke (Hometown – Toronto, ON)
Natalie Norman (Hometown – North York, ON)
Chris Robinson (Hometown – Brampton, ON)
Jess Salomon (Hometown – Montreal, QC)
Sterling Scott (Hometown – Edmonton, AB)
Kelly Taylor (Hometown – Prince Albert, SK)
Matty Vu (Hometown – Edmonton, AB)
Alex Wood (Hometown – Ottawa, ON)
The 18 semi-finalists were chosen from 60 comedians who auditioned in front of a live audience in Vancouver or Toronto this past spring. They each had six minutes to impress a panel of industry judges and earn a spot in the semi-finals.
Following the nationwide online vote, the eight finalists will compete live onstage at the SiriusXM Top Comic Finale for the grand prize: $25,000, guaranteed spots to perform at JFL Sydney (Australia), JFL42 (Toronto), JFL NorthWest (Vancouver) and Just For Laughs Montreal and inclusion in a JFL TV taping. The two runners-up will each receive a cash prize of $2,500 in addition to performances in 2020 at JFL42, JFL NorthWest, and Just For Laughs Montreal.
The Top Comic competition is part of SiriusXM Canada’s ongoing initiatives to provide exposure to Canadian talent. Last year, Chanty Marostica of Winnipeg, MB took home the title and grand prize, with Sophie Buddle from Ottawa, ON and Nick Reynoldson of Scarborough, ON as runners-up. Following the win, Chanty’s debut comedy album, The Chanty Show was nominated for a JUNO Award for Comedy Album of the Year.
Previous Top Comic winners are Gavin Matts (2017, Vancouver), Chris Robinson (2016, Toronto), Derek Seguin (2015, Montreal), Faisal Butt (2014, Montreal), Pete Zedlacher (2013, Wawa), Eric Andrews (2012, Brampton), Matt O’Brien (2011, Toronto) and Brian Stollery (2010, Calgary).
SiriusXM listeners will be able to listen to Top Comic content on SiriusXM radio, and those with streaming access can listen online, on-the-go with the SiriusXM mobile app and at home on a wide variety of connected devices including smart TVs, Amazon Alexa devices, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more. Go to siriusxm.ca/streaming to learn more.
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Media Contacts:
Andrea McLoughlin, KWT Global
647-490-6602
amcloughlin@kwtglobal.com
Kelly Price, KWT Global
647-490-6617
kprice@kwtglobal.com