2023 Recipients

Syd Campbell and Sam Stralak

Edmonton, AB
Sketch and Improv Duo, LEO (Live Tour)

Aaron Hill + Guests

Brockville, ON
“Campy Accounts” (Sketch Video Series)

Emmanuel Lomuro

Winnipeg, MB
Stand-up Album (w/ Video)

Andrew Ivimey, Diana McCallum, and Jon Blair

Toronto, ON
“Texts From Superheroes” (Sketch Video Series)

Anne Marie Scheffler

Toronto, ON
“MILFy Mondays” (Sketch Web Series)

Emily Jeffers and Janice Jo Lee

Toronto, ON
Scott T. Kim and Sheonardo DiCaprio (Social Media Sketch Videos)

Enoje OzJam + Guests

Toronto, ON
“Let Em Eat Laughs” (Live Tour, Video Livestream)

Habib Siam

Toronto, ON
Stand-up Tour (w/ Video)

Veronica Dymond

St. John’s, NFLD
“I KILL MYSELF” (Stand-up Album and Video Special)

Cameron MacLeod, Sarah Dawn Pledge, Nima Gholamipour, and Amy Goodmurphy

Vancouver, BC
“Doctor Credentials, MD” (Sketch and Improv Podcast, no Video)

Simone Holder + Guests

Ottawa, ON
Comedy Album (Stand-up w/ Video

Cameron Wyllie + Guests

Toronto, ON
“Cameron Wyllie: Never Been Happier” (Sketch Album w/ Video)

Check out all 2023 finalists and applicants here: https://www.onviva.tv/en/channel/cancom.19

2023 Peer Assessors

Mike Hammond

St. John’s, NFLD

Erica Sigurdson

Vancouver, BC

Vong Show

Toronto, ON

Ana-Marija Stojic

Los Angeles, CA

2023 Sponsors

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible for a CANCOM Comedy Grant, applicants must be:

  • Creating comedy-first work that seeks, amongst its primary artistic goals, to be funny.
  • Creating original comedic work, including but not limited to videos, live broadcast, live performance of improv, sketch, stand up, touring, sizzle reels, podcasts, albums, music, writing and digital creative for social media.
  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or have been a resident of Canada for at least one year as of the date of the applications.

CANCOM celebrates the diversity of the Canadian comedy landscape and welcomes applicants whose comedy highlights unique personal narratives that showcase Canada’s rich and dynamic multiculturalism.

All applicants must also:

  • Be CANCOM Members, which is free
  • Read and agree to the CANCOM Health, Safety and Anti-Harassment Policy, which will be available on the application portal coming soon
  • Complete their project and submit their final report before January 23rd, 2025
  • Provide CANCOM with relevant video links, images, written samples, etc… so that CANCOM can share and promote your successful project

All successful recipients will receive:

  • 40% of their assigned funding upon signing the CANCOM Comedy Grant Agreement

  • 30% of their assigned funding upon completing their project

  • 30% of their assigned funding upon providing a Final Report on their project

Applicant and Assessor Expectations:

For clarity, before the second and third installments, the final produced services of your project must be completed, which includes, live shows, writing, festivals, travel, walking tour, etc…, or final produced videos/audio/livestream content or broadcasts.

Applicants who don’t satisfy the above criteria may be deemed ineligible, and be required to return funds, at the discretion of the CANCOM Comedy Grants Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee consists of working, professional comedians – Peer Assessors – who are hired by honorarium, as well as the volunteer CANCOM Board of Directors.

Important considerations before applying:

  • Work funded by a CANCOM Comedy Grant must be created after the application deadline for this program. But, if you’re recording an album, for instance, it can obviously include material you’ve been working on prior to the deadline.
  • Incomplete projects will be expected to return 100% of all funding provided by CANCOM back to CANCOM so that the money can be redirected to other comedy artists. Monies advanced by CANCOM to the artist(s) awarded from the grant are expected to be returned to CANCOM within 30 days of incomplete project confirmation.
  • If you don’t feel confident you will be able to complete your project and final report by the deadline, please reconsider whether you should apply.

What Can You Apply For?

All comedic work by eligible applicants is welcome to apply for these grants. Some possible directions:

All applicants must also:

  • A comedy podcast – with or without video, produced video or live broadcast
  • A comedic video or web series – sketch shows, improv, stand up, music or digital creative storytelling comedy
  • A live stand-up, improv or sketch show – with produced video or live broadcast optional The filming and editing of a live comedy show, for public consumption via produced video or live broadcast optional
  • A comedy album recording – produced picture stills, graphics and videos from album creation optional
  • Travel, accommodation and expenses funding to tour a comedy show to a high-visibility festival
  • An independently produced comedy festival or show that pays artists – with video production and/or live broadcast optional
  • A site-specific comedy walking tour – with video production and/or live broadcast optional
  • A series of well-produced comedy video reels for social media and online
  • Comedy writers for video and live broadcast productions – including web series, sketch, stand up and digital creative.
  • Other!

We’re open to ideas, as long as comedy is your goal.