Brett Davis wins 2015 Andy Kaufman Award

Andy Kaufman never got to see Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, but if he had, perhaps the late great performer would have served up a tribute similar to what Brett Davis produced on Sunday night, when Davis won the 11th annual Andy Kaufman Award.

Davis actually employed some of his competitors for the award to help carry out his masquerade orgy gone awry at the UCB East, which started to fray upon hearing a music cue from The Fray, and continued long after his performance — thanks to the smell of rotisserie chicken that permeated the theater.

Davis is the second straight Andy Kaufman Award winner to emerge from the Chris Gethard comedy universe (Dru Johnston won in 2014) — The Special without Brett Davis took over the Manhattan public access time slot from The Chris Gethard Show when Gethard and company jumped to Fusion.

Fans of The Special Without Brett Davis may recall Episode 11: “The Grand Inquisitor.”

MichaelKaufman_2015_andykaufmanawardsThis year’s crop of contestants proved mighty worthy of pride and joy from Kaufman’s family. Andy’s brother, Michael, produces the event each year; and Andy’s daughter, sister, and brother-in-law also attended; while Elayne Boosler, Andy’s love and roommate dating back to the early 1970s, hosted this year. Boosler shared stories from their time together, led a Mighty Mouse singalong — Sunday, after all, was the actual 40th anniversary of the premiere of Saturday Night Live which featured Andy Kaufman’s performance — and sold commemorative shirts that benefitted her non-profit animal rescue Tails of Joy.

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Seek out any of the other finalists and bring some joy into your life:

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The Andy Kaufman Award “is a showcase for promising cutting-edge artists with fresh and unconventional material, for those willing to take risks with an audience, and for those who do not define themselves by the typical conventions of comedy. It seeks to recognize a performer who lives and works outside the ordinary, as Kaufman did.” The winner received $2,500 and entry into the inner circle of past winners of the Andy Kaufman Award.

Congrats, Brett!

(Photos by Dan Pasternack)

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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