New York Comedy Festival will hand out a People’s Choice Award? Yes, and more

The 2009 New York Comedy Festival has announced a partnership with the People's Choice Awards that will result in the winner of "New York's Funniest Stand-Up" contest getting an actual People's Choice Award and recognition of some sort during the 2010 televised broadcast of said awards on CBS. Related: Want to enter the contest? Here's how. Other comedians who do not live and/or perform in NYC also will have a chance to take part in the People's Choice in a separate contest by submitting a three-minute routine to the People's Choice people between Sept. 21 and Oct. 7. Festival judges will post the top three performers on the site on Oct. 9, and then online voting will help pick one of the three stand-ups to travel to Manhattan to perform as an opening act during the fest.

“This event marks the first time that a People’s Choice Award will be presented in a stand-up comedy competition,” People's Choice President Fred Nelson said in a statement. “We are thrilled to empower fans to voice their choice alongside the experts and to provide another shot for performers to showcase their comedic talents on stage.”

That's one of the additions to this year's weeklong fest.

As they have done in past years, the NYCF has coordinated with the Paley Center to host a couple of TV comedy panels. This year's panels include discussions with the writers of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report and NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and a special look at the challenge of writing for TV in the age of the Internets with participation by Rory Albanese of The Daily Show, Jim Downey of Saturday Night Live, John Riggi of 30 Rock and Al Jean of The Simpsons.

In addition, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre will host themed shows during the NYCF week, including "Your Favorite Band Sucks…at Comedy," "The Best Sketch in NY" and "Time Out New York Approved."

And Mario Cantone will headline shows at Carolines on Broadway Nov. 5-8.

Expect to hear more show announcements soon.

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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