Since 2000, the Canadian Comedy Awards have been celebrating one of Canada’s proudest exports: comedy. The awards recognize great achievements in the comedic sciences across the disciplines of live performance, radio, film, television and internet media. This year, unsurprisingly, there are more than a few Atlantic Canadians to have received nominations.
Being a generally quirky bunch, Atlantic Canadians have been no strangers to the to the Canadian Comedy Awards. Past east coasters to win of the awards include Halifax’s Ellen Page, Nikki Payne, and a slew of writers and cast from This Hour Has 22 Minutes, including Tim Steeves, Mark Critch, Mary Walsh and Rick Mercer.
This year, Atlantic Canadian nominees include a strong showing from Jeremy Larter and the crew of Pogey Beach, James Mullinger for his “Almost Canadian” performance at Harbour Station, Jonny Harris for his “Still Standing” comedy series, Newfoundlander Ryan Dillon for his “Violently Nice” comedy album, Tom Hearn for both of his productions of HOOKUP and Elegenza, and a handful of other Atlantic Canadians who have found their way into larger projects.
Of course, none are probably more enthusiastic about the Canadian Comedy Awards than adopted Maritimer, James Mullinger. Interestingly, Mullinger was actually in Saint John visiting his wife’s family while the 2009 Canadian Comedy Awards were taking place in the city.
“I arrived on the Kingston Peninsula and we were staying with my wife’s wonderful parents Barry and Wilhelmina, and they told me there was a comedy festival happening in Saint John. I was skeptical.” says Mullinger, “then I went uptown and we saw Jeremy Hotz and Nathan MacIntosh and Glen Foster and Tim Steeves and Deb DiGiovanni and Ron Sparks. It was epic.
“I saw shows at the Imperial and at Saint John High. And then I heard that there was a show at the Mason Jar in Sussex. I thought ‘that’s a good idea’. I hadn’t considered doing a show in New Brunswick before that. I had performed in Montreal a few times but never thought about NB. So I asked a few Canadian comics in England that I knew who I should speak to in NB. They told me Shane Ogden, Neal Mundle and Lloyd Ravn. I reached out to them and the following summer we did two sold out shows together at the Mason Jar in Sussex. Or rather – where the Mason Jar USED to be.
“Those two epic shows that night and then another the following night at the Saint John Theatre Company made me think: “Maybe I could live here.” So needless to say the Canadian Comedy Awards have an important place in my heart. But I never expected to be nominated for one!”
The full list of Atlantic Canadians who have been nominated for the 2019 awards:
Best Taped Live Performance
James Mullinger – Almost Canadian
Best TV Show
Baroness Von Sketch Show
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Best Comedy Album
Violently Nice – Ryan Dillon
Best Writing in a Feature
Jeremy Larter, Jason Larter, Geoff Read, Robbie Moses – Pogey Beach
Best Direction in a Feature
Jeremy Larter – Pogey Beach
Best Performance in a TV Series
Jonny Harris – Still Standing
Best Writing in a TV Series or Special
Peter McBain, Mike Allison, Scott Montgomery, Mark Critch, Dean Jenkinson, Susan Kent, Heidi Brander, Kevin Shustack, Sophie Buddle, Graham Clark, Jordan Foisy, Mayce Galoni, Ann Pornel – This Hour Has 22 Minutes – Season 26, Episode 1
Jonny Harris, Fraser Young, Graham Chittenden, Steve Dylan – Still Standing S04E02
Best Direction in a TV Series or Special
Sebastian Cluer – Still Standing: Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, ON
Jordan Canning, Jeremy LaLonde – Baroness Von Sketch Show – Season 3, Episode 1
Best Live Production
Bad Dog presents: HOOKUP
A Sketch Comedy Extravaganza Eleganza
Best Live Ensemble
Cast of HOOKUP
Cast of a Sketch Comedy Extravaganza Eleganza
Mullinger, who has been championing New Brunswick’s comedy scene since moving to the province four years ago. His performance on “Almost Canadian” is not the first, but second time he’s played to a stadium-sized audience at Saint John’s Harbour Station.
“I can’t quite believe it,” says Mullinger. “This means so much to me. It’s hard to get noticed when you are based on the East Coast, because traditionally the national media in this country has ignored or looked down on Atlantic Canadians. That is changing a lot now and that’s obviously a good thing. To be nominated for a prestigious Canadian Comedy Award for my stand up special “Almost Canadian” (filmed live at Harbour Station Arena in Saint John last April) in the Best Taped Live Performance category alongside such legends as Sugar Sammy and Kathleen McGee is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.
“It’s also huge for the ever-growing New Brunswick scene. We can get noticed here. Not only was this the first stand up special in history to be filmed in New Brunswick and released internationally but now it’s now also the first ever to be nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award.
“Massive props to New Brunswick director Tyler Warren Ellis and his incredible Saint John crew who did a world-class job with this special. Thank you everyone who got behind this and made it what it is. The Blu Ray / DVD box set combo of the special is on sale now at Indigo East Point or you can watch it on Amazon Prime anywhere in the world. This was financed entirely in New Brunswick, using an all New Brunswick crew, the artwork was designed by Matthew Joel Phillips from Fredericton. Everyone involved is from here. Which means you probably won’t hear about it anywhere else. But we can all be proud internally that this happened.
“In 15 years of doing stand up, this show is the thing I am most proud of. Tyler captured it beautifully and the soundtrack is by my favourite rapper ever Classified. What a dream. I hope everyone will check it out either on Blu Ray, DVD or Amazon Prime.”
Voting for the Canadian Comedy Awards take places between Friday, April 19, 2019, 12:00pm EST and Friday, May 10, 2019, 11:59pm EST. The Awards Reception are being held Sunday, June 2, 2019, 3:00pm EST in Toronto.
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