The ECNY Awards
Tim Vierling
Adira Amram
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Giving an award to a comedian is like feeding a dog that's certain to sink its teeth into your hand. A comedian will mock your organization, its reputed power or lack thereof, the ceremony, your sponsors, winning, losing, the award itself, award shows in general, any prop within arms’ reach—really, anything at all with the potential to provoke a laugh.
But of course those behind the ECNY Awards, which were held Monday at Comix, are comedians themselves, and thus have a good idea of what is going to happen. ECNY used to stand for Emerging Comics of New York, but now it doesn’t really stand for anything, because the creators realized they were lauding people who had long-since emerged on the cultural radar. The evening’s host (and one of the show’s producers), Jon Friedman, offered his newly concocted expansion of the acronym: “Everyone Cares. No? Yes!”
Tim VierlingA similar scrappy sense of humor pervaded the ECNY Awards, which offered its winners trophies of golden jackasses with bobbling backsides. If any of their speeches ran beyond the 30-second benchmark, it was 2 Live Crew’s “Me So Horny” that ushered them out. Best Musical Comedy Act nominee Adira Amram writhed across one of the empty tables in the front of the house and accosted a hapless waiter while performing her song “Finger Blast.” When an award did not have a presenter, the job of opening the envelope was quickly auctioned off (Eugene Mirman won with a bid of $2 and came up on stage to present an award for the second time that evening).
And when the night gave veterans time, they delivered: Stand-ups/presenters Mirman and John Mulaney, as well as Best Musical Comedy Act winner Reggie Watts, proved that three or four minutes in the hands of a consummate professional can be enough time to rip the roof off.
Kristen Schaal, presenterTim VierlingLike all award shows, the ECNY Awards had a job to do and wasn’t designed to be the highest form of entertainment. When the third or fourth winner isn’t present to claim his or her award, a puzzled show-goer can't help but wonder why he's still in the audience. Seth Herzog, an absent nominee for Best Host, sent his mother (who is a frequent and hilarious part of his Slipper Room show, Sweet) in his place. In an odd twist of events, she also accepted the award for an absent Leo Allen (the host of the UCB’s Whiplash) by reading Herzog’s losing diatribe against, yes, the ECNY Awards. When Herzog’s note demanded that his mother smoke a conciliatory bowl with Watts, she scrunched up her face and asked the crowd, “Is a bowl the same as a bong?” She went wearily back to reading, the laughter trailing behind her.
And the winners were:
Best Female Standup Comedian: Michelle Collins
Best Host: Leo Allen
Best Improv Group: Mother
Best Male Standup Comedian: Kumail Nanjiani
Best Musical Comedy Act (Solo or Group): Reggie Watts
Best One Person Show: Kumail Nanjiani's "Unpronouncable"
Best Short Comedic Film: Sara Benincasa & Diana Saez — Governor Palin Vlogs
Best Sketch Comedy Group: Derrick
Best Technician: Pat Baer
Best Variety Show: The Rejection Show
Emerging Comic Award: Lennon Parham
Outstanding Achievement in Flyer or Postcard Design: Anya Garrett — Jar Full of Roaches (Show)
Best Website: Upright Citizens Brigade, UCBComedy.com
Best Performance in a Commercial or Episode of Law & Order: Matt McCarthy — Verizon
Lifetime Achievement Award: The Writing Staff of Late Night With Conan O'Brien
