New York, U.S.A. – “The Comedy Awards” (#comedyawards) are back and better than, well, last year, when the second annual event airs on COMEDY CENTRAL on Sunday, May 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Some of the biggest names in comedy, including Chris Rock, Kristen Wiig, Ty Burrell,Tracy Morgan, Will Arnett, Hannibal Buress, Chevy Chase, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Annie Mumolo, Chris Parnell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Adam Scott, and Jon Stewart joined the night’s big honorees Don Rickles and Robin Williams to honor and celebrate the world of comedy.

Highlights from the show include:

• Robert De Niro and Jon Stewart presenting Don Rickles with the “Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence”
• Patton Oswalt presenting Robin Williams with the “Stand-Up Icon Award”
• Politically-themed fun as Tracy Morgan contemplates joining the Secret Service and Key & Peele bring out President Obama’s Anger Translator Luther
• Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (literally) wrestling over their award for “Best Comedy Film”
• The night’s big winner Louis C.K. wondering if four awards is maybe a few too many
• Chris Rock riffing on whether or not the nominees are actually funny
• And much more…

Fans are encouraged to visit www.thecomedyawards.com to vote for their digital favorites in categories including Best Comedy App, Best Comedy Podcast, Best Remix, Mash-up or Supercut and  Funniest Person on Twitter.  Voting for these categories will be open through Sunday, May 6, when “The Comedy Awards” premieres on COMEDY CENTRAL

“The Comedy Awards” is led by its Board of Directors which include such luminaries as: Carol Burnett,James Burrows, Greg Cavic, Stephen Colbert, James Dixon, Budd Friedman, Jim Gosnell, Rick Greenstein, Brad Grey, Caroline Hirsch, Sharon Jackson, Blair Kohan, Martin Lesak, Steve Levine, Jamie Masada, Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller, Conan O’Brien, Peter Principato, Joan Rivers, Jay Roach, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Rory Rosegarten, Michael Rotenberg, George Schlatter, Mitzi Shore, David Steinberg, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Sandy Wernick and Geof Wills.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the selection of the nominees.  The nominees are then sent out to over 1500 working members of the comedy community to determine the winners.

“The Comedy Awards” has once again joined forces with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to endow The American Comedy Fund.  Without a union or other protection, many comedians face unique challenges to succeed and survive.

The Fund provides much-needed financial assistance, health benefits and other resources for comedians across the country during times of need, crisis or transition.  The American Comedy Fund is administered by EIF in collaboration with the Motion Picture & Television Fund and The Actors Fund.

Don Mischer, Casey Patterson, EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment Group and Charlie Haykelare the Executive Producers.  Juliane Hare is Producer.  Beth McCarthy Miller, the Peabody and DGA Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Director, directed “The Comedy Awards.”  “The American Comedy Awards” was created by George Schlatter.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.comedycentral.com

The article Comedy Central Presents “The Comedy Awards” appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Lionsgate have announced ‘The Big Wedding’, a Nu Image / Millennium Films production that Lionsgate will be distributing in the U.S. and the U.K. The announcement was made jointly by Joe Drake, President of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, Jason Constantine, Lionsgate’s President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Avi Lerner, Founder and Co-Chairman of Nu Image, who is handling international sales of the film.

The film, which boasts an all star cast including Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Robin Williams, Ben Barnes and Topher Grace, is currently shooting in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Written and directed by Justin Zackham (‘The Bucket List’), the film centers around Don (De Niro) and Ellie (Keaton), a long divorced couple being forced to pretend that they are still happily married at their son’s wedding. Among all of their family and friends, the hoax snowballs into a poignant and raucously funny story about the ties that bind.

Nu Image’s Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort and Trevor Short are executive producing, with Justin Zackham, Clay Pecorin, Richard Salvatore and Harry Ufland producing.

“The Big Wedding is a charming, rollicking movie that promises to be an instant intergenerational family comedy classic,” explains Drake of the film’s appeal to the studio.  “We are thrilled to be in business once again with Avi and Nu Image,” adds Constantine.  “After our success together with action genre films like ‘The Expendables’ and the upcoming ‘Conan The Barbarian’, this film presented a wonderful opportunity to expand our collaborative horizons into the realm of broad comedy.”

“Our relationship with Lionsgate has always been mutually beneficial and one of great respect. A film like The Big Wedding only reinforces that idea and takes our relationship to the next level,” says Lerner. “We know that Lionsgate’s faith in us to deliver on all of the potential of this comedy is well placed.”

Negotiations on behalf of Lionsgate were overseen by Constantine along with Lionsgate’s SVP of Acquisitions Eda Kowan and EVP of Business & Legal Affairs Wendy Jaffe.

About Lionsgate 

Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms.

The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets.

Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as “Mad Men”, “Weeds” and “Nurse Jackie” along with  the comedy “Blue Mountain State, ” the upcoming drama “Boss” and the syndication successes “Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne”, its spinoff “Meet The Browns”,  the upcoming “For Better or Worse,” ”The Wendy Williams Show” and “Are We There Yet?”.

Image Courtesy of   cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

The article ‘The Big Wedding’ Starring Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon Announced appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Sirius XM Radio has announced that Kelly Carlin, daughter of George Carlin, one of the most influential comedians of all time,  will host a new monthly show on Raw Dog Comedy, channel 99, and on Carlin’s Corner, the new 24/7 channel devoted to George Carlin, channel 400.

Each month, The Kelly Carlin Show will feature Kelly interviewing a different comedian, stand-up comedy, personal stories and memories about her legendary and beloved father. The monthly show will kick off with a revealing conversation with special guest Robin Williams, during which the two will discuss Williams’ experience on The Richard Pryor Show and Mork & Mindy, what it takes to be an actor versus a stand-up comedian and Williams’ thoughts on the end of the world.

The Kelly Carlin Show will premiere on Sunday, February 12 at 7:00 pm ET and will air the first Sunday of every month on Raw Dog Comedy, channel 99. The Kelly Carlin Show will also air the first Monday of every month at 8:00 pm ET on Carlin’s Corner, channel 400. Upcoming episodes are scheduled to feature conversations with special guests Eddie Izzard, Lewis Black and Chris Hardwick.

SiriusXM Raw Dog Comedy features uncensored comedy from the edge: classic comedy, the hottest new stand-ups and original shows. The channel features shows hosted by comedian Jim Breuer, Tom Papa, the irreverent music host and musician Mojo Nixon, alternative comedy “championer” Mark Says Hi!, live morning host Sonny Fox, the smart and edgy Filip and Fredrik and others.

The hour-long monthly show will also air on SiriusXM’s Carlin’s Corner, the channel featuring albums, concerts and comedy from the archives of George Carlin. Subscribers can listen to SiriusXM’s Carlin’s Corner channel online through SiriusXM Internet Radio, through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and mobile devices, and by satellite on the new SiriusXM Lynx and SiriusXM Edge radios.

Kelly Carlin is a writer/performer and is currently touring the country for her acclaimed one person show “A Carlin Home Companion.”

The article Kelly Carlin to Host New Show on SiriusXM appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.