For the second year in a row, Skhumba Hlophe is the most nominated comedian at the Comics’ Choice Awards.
Hlophe has four nominations – in the non-English comic award, flying solo award, breakthrough award and the Savanna comic of the year.
The comedians who are up for Waldos in the 7th annual Comics’ Choice Awards were announced in Joburg yesterday. Some of the categories were a pleasant surprise. Like the comics’ pen award. This category especially highlights the writers who may be on stage or behind the scenes.
The Comics’ Choice Awards site explains: “As of 2015, this award was officially opened up to non-registered comics. This was done to encourage writers/cartoonists to become more involved in writing material for registered comedians, as well as to enter their TV, stage, printed and film work.
“A registered comic, or a professional writer who qualifies in terms of the rules, may enter this category for any work written or drawn that has been sold in the course of the past 12 months.”
Celeste Ntuli follows Hlope with three nominations – which include the coveted Savanna comic of the year.
Last year, when Edgars was the sponsor of this category, Tumi Morake was deservedly crowned the Comic of The Year. This year, the nominees in that category are Ntuli, Hlophe, Loyiso Gola, Carvin H Goldstone and Kagiso KG Mokgadi.
Loyiso Gola and Goldstone are also nominated three times this year.
The lifetime achiever recipient is Cyril Green, who has been an actor, a talk show host, a philanthropist and an author. He rose to prominence in the 1970s as a part of Biltong and Potroast alongside the first Comics’ Choice Awards lifetime achievement honouree, Mel Miller.
Ahead of the ceremony in September, here is a full list of this year’s nominees:
Savanna newcomer of the year
Thabiso Mhlongo
Tsitsi Chiumya
Bongani Dube
Eric Jansen
Thabo Kgaphola
Intermediate award
Ebenhaezer Dibakwane
Virgil Prins
Glen Biderman-Pam
Noko Moswete
Mo Mothebe
Non-English comic award
Collen Chepi
Skhumba Hlophe
Celeste Ntuli
Mashabela Galane
Thapelo King Flat Mametja
Flying solo award
Skhumba Hlophe
Carvin H Goldstone
Celeste Ntuli
Loyiso Gola
Mashabela Galane
Comics pen award
Mojak Lehoko
Trevor Noah
Muzi Dlamini
Lazola Gola
Karabo Lediga
The Nando’s best friend of comedy
Goliath & Goliath
David Kau – Blacks Only
Carvin H Goldstone
On Fire Comedy
Armchair – Gino Fernandez
Savanna pan-African
comic of the year
Patrick Idringi
Bright Okpocha
Carl Joshua Ncube
Tshepo Mpiti
Fernando Filipe
Breakthrough award
Skhumba Hlophe
Alfred Adriaan
Loyiso Gola
Robby Collins
Tumi Morake
Savanna comic of the year
Skhumba Hlophe
Loyiso Gola
Carvin H Goldstone
Celeste Ntuli
Kagiso KG Mokgadi
Lifetime achiever recipient
Cyril Green
* The Comics’ Choice Awards will take place at The Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City on September 9. Tickets cost R295 and are available at Computicket.