It’s that time of the year when industry leaders (and random blog) start listing their 5 or 10 or 39 up-and-coming stand-up comedians that people need to keep an eye on. One of the more illustrious lists is Variety‘s annual “10 Comics To Watch” list. The trade publication announced its 10 rising comedy stars over the weekend. This year’s batch brings up the topic of diversity, but in a different way. The list includes stand-up comedians, writers, producers and a nine-person sketch comedy group. Past honorees have included Amy Schumer, Lewis Black, Louis C.K., Patton Oswalt and Maria Bamford. Each year, a team of Variety editors compile a list of the ten funny folks based on industry input. The group will be profiled in the July 22 issue of Variety. But you can see who made the cut below right now!
Cristela Alonzo
The Texas native is set to debut her ABC sitcom Cristela this fall. An 8-year comedy veteran who has appeared on several late night shows and stand-up television showcases, Alonzo’s show will bring her latino family life to network TV.
Pete Davidson
The 20-year-old comic, who started performing as a teenager, has risen through the ranks quickly with the help of mentor Nick Cannon, who discovered Davidson in a comedy club on Staten Island. He’s appeared on Adam Devine’s House Party, MTV’s Guy Code and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Don’t let his age fool you; his writing and stage make him a favorite a comedy clubs all over New York City.
Adam Devine’s House Party
Get More: Watch More Stand-Up.
Fortune Feimster
Fortune Feimster is one of the many talented young comedians launched by Chelsea Handler through her E! talk show Chelsea Lately. She’s not a “New Face”, as she was already selected for the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival showcase in 2010, but she’s impressed audiences on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and will star in Tina Fey’s comedy show Cabot College should Fox decide to order the pilot to series.
Nathan Fielder
Fielder is the star of the Comedy Central show Nathan for You, which was just renewed for a second season. He’s also the brilliant mastermind behind the Dumb Starbucks prank in Los Feliz, CA back in February. Keep an eye both on his show and him, just in case he stages another massive prank.
Ron Funches
Funches has been a favorite of comedians in LA and now stars on the NBC comedy series Undateable. The big friendly stand-up self-describes his style as “sounding the way fresh chocolate chip cookies taste.”
Harvard Sailing Team
The Harvard Sailing Team is a sketch comedy group consisting of Adam Lustick, Chris Smith, Sara Taylor, Clayton early, Rebecca Delgado Smith, Billy Scafuri, Faryn Einhorn, Jenn Curran and Katie Larsen. Although not affiliated with the respected academic institution (or any sailing teams), the group has delivered “Ivy League sketch comedy” for years. Check out their YouTube page to do some homework on these creative minds.
Grace Helbig
Former Attack of the Show! correspondent Grace Helbig has hopped around various online video streaming networks, having had deals at My Damn Channel and Fullscreen. Her YouTube page has over 1.8 million subscribers since relaunching in January and her fan base continues to grow with over 700,000 followers on Twitter!
The Lucas Brothers
Kenny and Keith Lucas are twins out of New York City that have put faith back into the identical twin comedy duo stand-up game. Their short-lived animated series Lucas Bros. Moving Co. gave a glimpse as to what the comedians are capable of creating when not on stage. They made their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2012 and continue to perform all over.
Adam Devine’s House Party
Get More: Watch More Stand-Up.
Greg Poehler
Mr. and Mrs. Poehler should be proud, raising two comedy darlings. The brother of Parks & Recreation star Amy, Greg has made a name for himself in his own right. He will star in a new NBC show Welcome to Sweden this fall, with his sister executive producing the series. The show is semi-autobiographical, as he spent many years in Sweden where he performed as a stand-up comedian.
Lena Waithe
Waithe is a writer/producer behind the much-talked-about Sundance Film Festival award-winning film Dear White People…” The Chicago native, who had a pilot presentation this year for her comedy series Twenties, will continue to be talked about as her satirical feature continues to make festival rounds before hitting theaters.
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