For so many years, Boston comedy has been recognized as one of the leading exporters in the industry. Now, John Tobin has put together a bit more of a formal gathering for the movers and shakers of today’s scene to get their flowers in real time.
Kicking off its inaugural event tonight (January 11) at Laugh Boston, the Boston Comedy Choice Awards, hosted by scene titans Corey Rodrigues and Kelly MacFarland, seek to continue the mission that Tobin, a longtime homegrown club owner and promoter, has found himself and his team on for so many years. Having hosted a number of ceremonies over the years to honor the greats that have been at the foundation of the city’s rich comedy history, the West Roxbury native is looking forward to further acknowledging those who continue to carry the torch today, both on and off the stage.
“In consecutive years, we’ve honored Don Gavin, and then Tony V, but we wanted to do something a bit more encompassing, where we not only honor the legends, but also those on the scene right now who are just creating some really great content,” Tobin tells Vanyaland. “We also want to unify the scene a little bit by recognizing staff members at clubs that we may not necessarily run, and all the people behind the scenes who are making things work. There’s a lot of talent on both sides of the microphone.”
While the drive of the show is based mostly in recognizing the grind of those in the comedy scene today, and the many categories and subcategories that fall under that umbrella, Tobin is looking to make the show’s mission a multi-faceted tool to add even more meaning to the foundation of the local community.
With a spark of inspiration from the work of Comedy Gives Back, and that of the organization’s co-founders Zoe Friedman, Amber J. Lawson and Jodi Lieberman, Tobin is also using the awards show as a way to reach beyond the stand-up spotlight to help comedians who may be struggling to stay afloat away from the stage in a number of ways, whether it be drug and alcohol abuse, trouble with paying bills, or helping those in the tight-knit community who battle mental health struggles.
“We figured we would do something different, because I don’t want to run a golf tournament, because they’re a real pain the neck,” says Tobin. “But we can do what we’re good at, and that’s being able to put on shows and events that recognize people, entities and organizations that make people think and laugh, and celebrate them.”
From the day the initial fan voting opened, the response to the event has been significant. Although that response has Tobin, his team, and the nominees particularly stoked to bring something of this nature into the landscape of the Boston comedy scene in 2024, he’s already looking ahead to how he can expand the reach and scale of the show in the coming years. But for now, he’s just looking forward to bringing everyone together for a night of recognition, respect and a whole lot of laughter.
“We’re so looking forward to [tonight], but we’re already excited about next year and how we can do this even bigger and better,” says Tobin. “Everyone on our team has been so dedicated to this, and the nominees feel appreciated and seen, and that’s what it’s all about. For at least one night, we’ll all be one happy, dysfunctional family.”
BOSTON COMEDY CHOICE AWARDS :: Thursday, January 11 at Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. in Boston, MA :: 6 p.m., $35 :: Advance tickets