In 2023, Indian comedians took the world by storm, performing to iconic sold-out venues and receiving laurels wherever they went (even Côte d’Ivoire). So the latest edition of the DeadAnt Comedy Awards was bound to be hotly contested, and it was! With these awards we celebrate and highlight the best of Indian standup from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023. They’re like the Oscars, but the kind Indian standup n̶e̶e̶d̶s̶ deserves. Without further ado, here are the winners of the DeadAnt Comedy Awards 2024.

Viewers’ Choice: Best Online Comedy Special

Writing a standup special involves going on the road, workshopping the material in different cities and countries and constantly editing to get that tight set that works everywhere. In 2023, we got a lot of incredibly funny specials but there was one that Indian audiences loved the most. Abhishek Upmanyu’s debut special Jealous of Sabziwala cemented his reputation as one of the leading comedians in the country, as he took aim at physical health-related issues, mental health and popular mythologies.

Viewers’ Choice: India’s Favourite International Comedy Special

Last year, Chris Rock broke new ground by streaming his special Selective Outrage live on Netflix. In the 70-minute offering, Rock dishes out material about dating, cancel culture and the Kardashians. But the real draw for the audience was Rock addressing his infamous run-in with Will Smith (aka Slapgate). He clearly did a good job because, as it turns out, this was India’s favourite international special of the year.

Viewers’ Choice: Best TV Series, Web Series Or Format Show By A Comedian

For a good four years, comedian Raunaq Rajani has been sitting down with fellow comics to dish out extremely unhelpful love advice on his YouTube show Relationsh*t Advice. The comedian has really levelled up in the last year, bringing on celebrity guests including Vidya Balan and Imran Khan. He’s finally receiving his flowers for his hard work. Congratulations, Godfather!

Viewers’ Choice: Best Podcast By A Comedian

We promise you, it’s not rigged. They just have such loyal fans. Aadar Malik, Kautuk Srivastava, Neville Shah and Varun Thakur’s podcast The Internet Said So has been voted the Best Podcast by a Comedian for the fourth consecutive time. It’s time to khayesh, piyesh, chill-esh!

Viewers’ Choice: Best Social Media Game

It’s no secret that attention spans are dwindling by the day. We are constantly swiping up on our phones to find the perfect reel for our next dopamine hit. And to capture your attention in this overstimulated world is no easy task. But Rahul Subramanian managed to not only do so, but absolutely nail the assignment. His ‘un-motivational’ quotes and hilarious AMAs have earned him the award for the Best Social Media Game!

Viewers’ Choice: Most Exciting Voice

With standup comedy becoming a mainstream form of entertainment, new faces are cropping up every day in the hopes of making it big. It takes a while just to get used to the stage, and then comes the task of setting yourself apart and developing your unique voice. While there were many comics who made us turn our heads in 2023, Aaditya Kulshreshtha really took the scene by storm. Becoming a part of Tanmay Bhat’s OG gang, hitting 100k on Instagram and touring with his special, Kullu’s voice was heard loud and clear.

Viewers’ Choice: Funniest Person On The Indian Internet

This one’s for the trend-setters. The algorithm all-stars. The opinionated hot-takers. They’ve mastered the format and made themselves a permanent fixture in your digital lives. And the person who connected the most with his online audience was Rohit Raghvendra. Uncanny mimicry, relatable takes on pop culture and being on top of all things topical—Raghvendra really knocked it out of the park in 2023.

Viewers’ Choice: Best Live Show

Comedy is an art form best enjoyed live. You might chuckle when you watch an Instagram reel or YouTube video, but it’s in the comedy club where you’ll slap your knee and guffaw with hundreds of other audience members. We caught tons of strong shows last year but the one that stood out was Varun Grover’s Nothing Makes Sense. And clearly, the audience shares the same sentiment. This makes total sense!

Viewers’ Choice: Best YouTube Channel

Tanmay Bhat started streaming on YouTube in 2019. Since then, he’s become a phenomenon on the website, getting hundreds of millions of views on his vlogs, gaming content and most importantly, meme reviews. The only thing more consistent than his uploads are my mom’s reminders of how I’ve disappointed her. Clearly none of it is going unseen. His OP performance has won him the award for the Best YouTube Channel!

Viewers’ Choice: Best Acting Performance By A Comedian/Comedy Creator

Comedians and content creators are no strangers to being cast in web series. But they really levelled up last year, appearing in Bollywood films and international movies alongside major acting talents. Anubhav Singh Bassi’s appearance in the Ranbir Kapoor-Shraddha Kapoor starrer Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar really stood out for Indian audiences as they voted it the Best Acting Performance By A Comedian!

Critics’ Choice: Comedy Innovation

Being on stage for an entire hour can be really tiring. Some comedians push themselves to perform for two, sometimes three hours. But seven hours on stage? That’s unheard of. At least it was until last year, when Daniel Fernandes performed his record-breaking set at Bengaluru’s Underground Comedy Club and Mumbai’s The Habitat. It was a feat of comedic endurance and this award commemorates his marathon set!

Critics’ Choice: Best Online Special

With 12 years of experience in the Indian comedy scene, Kanan Gill has honed his craft as a true wordsmith—innovating with syntax, painting vivid word-pictures and making our imagination run wild as he fires punchline after punchline. His special Is This It? was a gentle reminder of his prowess. Overflowing with existential dread, the special showcased his evolution into an onstage curmudgeon. That’s why our panel of critics voted for it as the Best Online Special. Let’s party!

Critics’ Choice: Everything Everywhere

An International Emmy. A 33 country tour spanning six continents. Performances at some of the most iconic venues in the world. Vir Das was crazy enough to dream big and went on to have a crazier year making all those things a reality. He did everything. He was everywhere. And here’s an award to recognise his undying commitment to pushing the envelope of Indian comedy.

Critics’ Choice: Community Champions

Standup might be a predominantly solo art form but every artist gets by with a little help from their friends. The Marathi collective BhaDiPa and Navin Noronha’s Queer Rated Comedy shows have played a pivotal role in helping comics get up on stage and make their mark. They’ve been the community champions that Indian comedy needed AND deserved. After all, teamwork makes the dream work.

Critics’ Choice: Guts & Glory

It takes a lot of guts to bet on yourself. But only those who have the cojones to do it get to taste glory. And that’s precisely what Sumukhi Suresh did last year. The comedian toured the globe with her latest special Hoemonal, sold out 1000-seater shows in India and wrote a few films and TV shows on the side. Not too bad for a year’s work, right? Here’s her award for really going the extra mile and believing in herself.

Critics’ Choice: Trailblazer

Indian comedy really got some international recognition last year. Urooj Ashfaq had a role to play in that. The comedian’s show Oh No! fetched her the award for the Best Newcomer at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This was the first time an Indian picked up the award but it definitely won’t be the last, with Ashfaq paving the way for Indian comedians to shoot for the moon. Here’s another award for you!

Critics’ Choice: Best Podcast

Every comedian and their dog have a podcast nowadays. But it’s not easy to keep it going. It’s even harder to keep it going and make people laugh. Anuvab Pal and Kunaal Roy Kapur have managed to do just that for years with their podcast Our Last Week. Recognition for their efforts are long overdue, and this year we’re making sure they get the plaudits they deserve.

Peer Picks: Best Venue

Where do comedians most feel at home? The Habitat, of course! Our panelists agree that the Habitat has it all, granting it this award for the second year in a row! We’re talking everything from staff to atmosphere to the nuts and bolts that hold it all together.

Peer Picks: Best Comedy Producer

Another year at the top of the comedy producer pyramid for Chalta Hai Comedy! They’ve secured the W for the best producer in 2023, for pushing the standup comedy envelope and maintaining the highest standards when putting together a show. Nothing new for the two-time winners; yeh sab to chalta rehta hai.

Peer Picks: Comic’s Comic

Sure, you can make an audience laugh, but how often can you make a fellow comedian go “I wish I’d thought of that?” After last year, Kanan Gill has done it again, earning praise from his peers for his expert timing, compelling storytelling and commitment to the art form.

Peer Picks: Most Inspiring

These are the comedians that the rest of the crew look to for #CareerGoals. Vir Das moved from strength to strength in 2023, leaving milestone after milestone in the rear-view mirror. He’s a dreamer who isn’t afraid to put in the grunt work, and for that he gets the Most Inspiring award.

Peer Picks: Next Big Thing

Sometimes, comics just see a comedian and they know there are big things in store for them. Last year, it was Manjeet Sarkar who wowed his peers with his material. The comedian was touring with his special Untouchable, performed at the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Bangkok and worked on a documentary. All that definitely deserves an award and his peers have bestowed one upon him.