The Brooks Awards: Sam Brooks hands out his very serious Comedy Fest gongs
There’s the Billy T Award, there’s the Fred Award, but now we’ve got comedy co-editor Sam Brooks’ completely biased and very serious comedy festival awards.
Comedy
That's a wrap! Comedy editors Sam and Natasha look back at this year's Comedy Festival
The NZ International Comedy Festival is over for another year, and so our two Comedy co-editors Sam Brooks and Natasha Hoyland take their final bows. Read on for their farewell messages.
What does The Billy T Award mean in 2017?
Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks takes a look at the recent history of the Billy T Award, what felt different about this year's nominees, and what that means for New Zealand's comedy industry as a whole.
'I don't leave the door open for bullshit to come in': A conversation with Urzila Carlson
Urzila Carlson is straight up the biggest comedian in the country today. Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks talks to her about how she got so good at being funny.
The Laugh-Off’s fourth and final episode: the wrap up
For the fourth and final episode of our comedy festival podcast, actor, writer and comedy expert Chelsea McEwan Millar is joined by comedy co-editors Sam Brooks and Natasha Hoyland.
If women aren’t funny, how come they took out all the awards at Last Laughs?
For years New Zealand comedy has – with some notable exceptions – had a reputation as something of a boys' club. Last night its three key awards were all won by women for the first time. Natasha Hoyland, a young comedian herself, describes how that moment felt.
‘Performing to 50 women and 10 men is the ideal ratio’: Rose Matafeo on making award-winning comedy
Rose Matafeo won the Fred Award last night. It's New Zealand's most prestigious comedy award, along with the Billy T Award (which she has also won). Sam Brooks talks to her about her comedy, life overseas, and their shared passion for musical flop Nine.
Beyond the gumboot: The non-Dagg work of John Clarke
On the heels of today's Fred nominee announcements, comedian Jonny Potts digs deep into the non-Fred Dagg work of John Clarke, including a book, a podcast and some handy YouTube clips.
Comedy Festival reviews: Louise Beuvink and Joel Creasey impress, while two Billy T nominees fall short.
Sam Brooks roars into the third week with two of this year's Billy T nominees, an impressive hour from local comedian Louise Beuvink, and a great one from Australian Joel Creasy.
The Spinoff’s Comedy Fest Diary, Week 3: ‘My brain is broken’
Just as the biggest annual event in NZ comedy was getting underway, Spinoff Comedy co-editor Natasha Hoyland ended up in hospital. But now she's back and raring to go – in time for the festival to enter the home straight.
