Five Of Aotearoa’s Hottest Comedians Named Billy T Award Nominees For 2025

On Saturday night, emerging comedians from across Aotearoa competed for a coveted spot as a Billy T Award nominee in the 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo.

This prestigious award, named after comedy legend Billy T James, recognises up-and-coming comedians with outstanding potential, and this year’s competition was fierce!

The New Zealand Comedy Trust (NZCT) leads this initiative, championing the craft of comedy, supporting artists to create sustainable careers in comedy while strengthening New Zealand’s internationally recognised comedy ecosystem. Their vision is to connect audiences with world-class comedy, ensuring everyone can share a laugh.

Seventeen comedians pitched their 2025 Festival show concepts to a panel of industry experts and showcased their skills across a variety of comedy styles at The Civic’s Wintergarden in Tāmaki Makaurau. The panel were impressed by the talent and passion of this year’s applicants, and after tough deliberation, selected five finalists.

Chosen for their comedic ability, dedication to their craft, and outstanding potential, the Trust is proud to announce the 2025 Billy T Award nominees:

• Booth the Clown & Jak Darling: Two award-winning, unapologetically queer, genderfluid performers from Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Booth, a 2019 Te Auaha Circus graduate, has made waves in the Wellington comedy scene, winning “Best Comedian” and “Best Joke” at the 2023 Wellington Comedy Awards.
  Jak (Ngāi Tahu), with a BA in Theatre and Gender Studies, earned a sold-out debut with A Muse and Best Newcomer nomination at this year’s NZ International Comedy Festival, along with multiple award nominations. Together, they deliver a smorgasbord of comedy, from stand-up and mime to musical theatre and dance, captivating audiences with wit, sparkle, and talent.
   
• David Stuart: Describing himself as both an “internationally obscure pre-celebrity” and a “criminally unappreciated cultural icon”, David was a 2022 Raw Comedy Quest Finalist and voted Best Newcomer (Upper North Island) at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards. Since arriving from Scotland in 2021, he’s become a dynamic force in the Auckland comedy scene as an MC, and performed at Winter Pride in Queenstown. In 2023, he was nominated for Best Breakthrough Act, Best MC, and Best Joke at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards. David debuted his solo show Good Breeding at the 2024 NZ International Comedy Festival.
   
• Hoani Hotene: (Ngāti Hauā) grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara and won the 2022 NZ Raw Comedy Quest. He has performed across Australia and Aotearoa, with his comedy offering a fresh perspective on Te Reo Māori, travel, and modern life. Hoani is a two-time NZ Comedy Guild Breakthrough Comedian winner (2022, 2023) and a 2024 Best Newcomer nominee at the NZ International Comedy Fest.
   
• Itay Dom: is an Auckland-based comedian, known for his sharp jokes and ability to improvise with the crowd, making no two shows the same. His recent appearances on Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee and The Bachelorette showcased his comedic prowess - even if they led to him being eliminated from both shows. He recently showcased his talent at the Comedy Festival with his sold-out show Crowd Pleaser.
   
• Lesa MacLeod-Whiting: is an award-winning comedian, writer, improviser, and co-founder of Shut Up & Dance from Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Starting stand-up in 2020, she quickly made her mark at the National Raw Comedy Quest Final. Co-founder of the improv company Tiny Dog, Lesa debuted her solo show ON BRAND at the 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival, earning a nomination for Best Newcomer. She’s the co-host of the Are We Pals? podcast with Samantha Hannah and made her debut in the Best Foods Comedy Gala in Wellington. Audiences love her absurd characters, political satire, and fast-paced audience interactions.

Winning the Billy T Award is a major achievement, celebrating the legacy of Billy T James, who changed the face of comedy in Aotearoa. The award has been won by many of New Zealand’s comedy greats, including Ewen Gilmour, Cal Wilson, Rose Matafeo, Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement, Dai Henwood, Melanie Bracewell, Guy Montgomery, David Correos, Kura Forrester and Melanie Bracewell.

This year’s judging panel brings extensive experience from the comedy, television, and theatre industries. The panel includes:

• Jane Yonge (Director, Arts Strategist, Producer, NZ Comedy Trust Board)
• Abby Howells (Comedian, Billy T winner)
• Rob Brown (TV Producer, 7 Days)
• Paul Douglas (Comedian)
• Maria Deere (Producer, former NZICF Producer)
• Jerome Chandrahasen (Comedian, Humorous Arts Trust)

Lauren Whitney, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Comedy Trust, says, “The Billy T Award is a cornerstone of our development initiatives, offering dedicated comedians the chance to be recognised by an expert panel. It’s a key career milestone, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience their talent at next year’s NZ International Comedy Festival.”

These five nominees will perform one-hour solo shows during the 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo (2 – 25 May), culminating in their final performance at Last Laughs on Sunday 25 May at SkyCity Theatre, where one comedian will take home the prestigious yellow towel and be crowned the 2025 Billy T Award winner!

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