Chris Robinson has the last laugh after going mic-to-mic with crème de la crème
of Canada's comedic talent, nabbing $25,000
Homegrown comedy icon Tom Green headlined last night's Finale in Toronto
TORONTO, Sept. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), the country's leading audio entertainment company, crowned
Chris Robinson of Toronto winner of the seventh annual SiriusXM's
Top Comic competition last night at the Finale held at Toronto's Queen Elizabeth Theatre, as part
of JFL42. Robinson took home the competition's biggest grand prize yet ‑ $25,000 ‑ and
guaranteed spots at three of Canada's biggest comedy festivals in 2017 ‑ JFL42 in
Toronto, JFL NorthWest in Vancouver and the Just for
Laughs Festival in Montreal. In addition, they will be included in a televised JFL: All
Access special airing on The Comedy Network.
SiriusXM's Top Comic Finale, which was broadcast live on SiriusXM's Canada Laughs (ch. 168), featured eight
finalists who went mic-to-mic in front of a panel of judges including comedian Ron Funches, plus
industry experts Aaron Hodges (SiriusXM's Raw Dog Comedy), Zoe
Rabnett (JFL), Rachel Goldstein-Couto (Bell Media) and a Canada-wide text-to-vote.
Runners-up, Sophie Buddle of Vancouver and Che Durena of Toronto will receive TV spots at the 2017 Just For Laughs
Festival in Montreal, as well as a double-threat show at JFL42 2017.
Canadian comic Tom Green, MTV personality, star of the films Road Trip and
Freddy Got Fingered, and current host of the widely popular internet talk show Tom Green's
House Tonight and the Tom Green Radio podcast, closed out last night's Top Comic Finale to a standing ovation from the
exuberant packed house. Ben Miner, Canadian comic and host of SiriusXM's Canada Laughs hosted
the night.
"It's an absolute honour to win the Top Comic title as it's the biggest competition in Canadian comedy," said
Robinson. "The judges are some of the top names in the industry and to perform for them alongside the other incredibly
talented finalists has been an unforgettable experience."
"Top Comic continues to draw the best comedic talent in Canada and Robinson is no exception —
He had the crowd howling with an incredible set," said Ben Miner. "We had a great group of
finalists this year and are thrilled to award Robinson the biggest grand prize of the competition yet."
The Finale capped off a nearly five-month journey for Robinson. After hundreds of comics from across Canada registered for the competition in the spring, 72 contestants were selected to compete at the
Toronto and Vancouver auditions over six nights in June. Judges
then selected 18 semi-finalists to participate in a Canada-wide online vote, and the eight comics
with the most votes advanced to last night's finale.
Top Comic is part of SiriusXM Canada's ongoing initiatives to provide exposure to Canadian talent. Last year, Montreal's Derek Seguin took home the title and grand prize, with Matt Billon of Vancouver and Jordan Welwood of
Winnipeg placing as runners-up. Previous winners include Faisal
Butt, Pete Zedlacher, Eric Andrews, Matt O'Brien and
Brian Stollery.
Canada Laughs (ch. 168) features uncensored Canadian comedy 24/7 including stand-up, sketch and more, putting the
spotlight on the rich pool of extraordinary talent from Canada. Canada Laughs is available to all SiriusXM
subscribers in Canada and across the U.S. and joins SiriusXM's hilarious comedy lineup,
including Comedy Central Radio, Raw Dog Comedy, The Foxxhole, Jeff and Larry's Comedy
Roundup, Laugh USA and more.
About SiriusXM Canada
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SOURCE SiriusXM Canada
