COVID-19 may have made us all prisoners in our own homes, but the show must go on… the DeadAnt Comedy Awards show, that is. The votes are in, the critics have spoken, and we’re happy to finally announce the winners of the first-ever DeadAnt Comedy Awards!

With these awards we celebrate and highlight the best of Indian standup from 1 January 2019 – 29 February 2020. They’re like the Oscars, but the kind Indian standup n̶e̶e̶d̶s̶ deserves. Congratulations to all the winners!

Best Online Comedy Special

Best online comedy special released across streaming platforms (30 min/60 min).

Best Live Show

The sharpest live shows that have been on tour across more than 3 cities and have a runtime of at least 50 minutes.

Best Breakout Performance

The sharpest hour-long live shows that put their creators on our radar.

Best Comedy Format Show

This award recognises other forms of comedy—outside of traditional standup—to celebrate those who experimented with formats this year.

Most Exciting Voice Of 2019

The artist who really made us sit up and pay attention this year, whether by blowing up on the internet, selling out auditorium shows, or finding other ways to be among the most talked about.

Best Comedy For Awareness

This award recognises artists who dig deep; they ask the right questions, deliver the hard truths, and use their celebrity, stage time and craft to go beyond just the laughs per minute.

Best Social Media Game

This is an appreciation award for the inordinate amounts of effort and battles with screen time it takes to keep both algorithms and audiences happy.

Best Podcast By A Comedian

Every comedian suddenly seems to have one. But who’s the class topper?

Funniest Person On The Indian Internet

An award for the guys who have you sniggering into your phones with memes, sketches, alter-egos and hilarious perspectives.

India’s Favourite International Special

International comedy specials that fans in India watched, talked about and loved, through the year.

Peer Picks: Best Venue

A jury of comedian peers sounds like a sketch prompt, but in this case it isn’t. This award goes to the comedy venue that is most beloved by the ‘scene’.

Peer Picks: Best Comedy Producer

This award goes to the people behind the scenes who make sure that you’ve got a steady stream of top quality comic content to binge on.

Peer Picks: Next Big Thing

Who’s going to be your favourite comedian next year? Comics pick their choice for the next best thing.

Peer Picks: Comic’s Comic

There’s more to comedy than just who gets the most laughs. This award is for the comedians who make other comedians go “very nice, I see what you did there”.

Critics’ Choice: Best Online Special (30 Min)

The audience has voted. Now the critics get to have their say as well. This award goes to the best half an hour online special, according to our panel of critics.

Critics’ Choice: Best Online Special (60 Min)

This award recognises the best hour-long online special, as picked by our panel of critics.

Critics’ Choice: Comedy For Change

This category recognises artists and organisations that use stand up comedy to make an impact. Few things are more powerful than an art form that can engage people on urgent issues where the media and advocacy falls short, and this award seeks to highlight the artists who consistently make an effort in this direction. The winner is Stand Up For India, for their fantastic and successful fundraising gig for peaceful CAA-NRC protesters.

Critics’ Choice: Community Champions

This award recognises those who act as catalysts and scene-builders, devoting their time and energy to help the standup community. The winners are Evam Standup Tamasha, for their outstanding work in promoting Tamil comedy.

Critics’ Choice: Comedy Innovation

The Comedy Innovation award is for comedians with an eye for future trends, and have pushed new boundaries either on the stage or behind the scenes. And the winner is Daniel Fernandes for introducing the pay-as-you-please with his YouTube special Shadows, as well as his six hour marathon special Talk To Me: Ironman.

Critics’ Choice: 56-Inch Chest Award

This award celebrates a comedian who is unafraid to take on the powers that be, whether that’s the government, media personalities, or your neighbourhood RWA secretary. This year’s award goes to the first ever Indian comedian to be put on a no fly list, Kunal Kamra!

Critics’ Choice: Rahul Dravid Award

Rahul Dravid is the cricketer’s cricketer – always dependable, impeccably refined both on and off the field, and good at whatever position he was asked to fill in. This award recognises comedians who are just as reliable as “The Wall”, putting out consistently amazing work across formats throughout the year. And the winner is writer-director-comedian Sumukhi Suresh!

Critics’ Choice: Kapil Dev Award

This award celebrates an all rounder with a relentless work ethic, who have been at the top of their game in multiple areas of the pitch. The first Kapil Dev award goes to Vir Das, who has been everywhere you look this year – on stage, on American late night television, on your Netflix screens, even Hollywood!