Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Award
Encyclopedia
The Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Award is a grant issued to Australia
n comedian
s wishing to premiere new works as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
. It is named for Brian McCarthy, a young comedian and comedy producer killed in a car accident in 1987.
Each year benefit performances are held in Melbourne (as part of the Comedy Festival) and Sydney, and the money raised is used to produce new shows by successful applicants, who are thus free to try out a new and exciting idea without worrying whether it will be "commercially viable". The Award is substantial, but rather than providing funds directly, the Moosehead association produces the show, organising everything from Festival registration to venue and equipment hire and marketing. It also provides access to professional photographers, publicists, directors and other resources typically too expensive for comedians.
The award is known as the "Moosehead" award as Moosehead beer was Brian McCarthy's favorite. His favorite song, I Heard It Through the Grapevine
, is traditionally performed by the closing act of every Moosehead Award benefit show.
In recent years the Award has also been the recipient of sponsorship from The Comedy Channel
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s wishing to premiere new works as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
. It is named for Brian McCarthy, a young comedian and comedy producer killed in a car accident in 1987.
Each year benefit performances are held in Melbourne (as part of the Comedy Festival) and Sydney, and the money raised is used to produce new shows by successful applicants, who are thus free to try out a new and exciting idea without worrying whether it will be "commercially viable". The Award is substantial, but rather than providing funds directly, the Moosehead association produces the show, organising everything from Festival registration to venue and equipment hire and marketing. It also provides access to professional photographers, publicists, directors and other resources typically too expensive for comedians.
The award is known as the "Moosehead" award as Moosehead beer was Brian McCarthy's favorite. His favorite song, I Heard It Through the Grapevine
I Heard It through the Grapevine
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles...
, is traditionally performed by the closing act of every Moosehead Award benefit show.
In recent years the Award has also been the recipient of sponsorship from The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...
.
List of Award recipients
- 1994 - Stef Torok & Brad Oakes - Telephoney Meen
- 1995 - Andrew Goodone - He, Comedian
- 1996 - Tim Harris - An Illustrated Lecture by Dr Alexander Buchanan; The Rhonda Movement - Dumhead; Denise ScottDenise ScottDenise Margaret Adelaide Scott is a Melbourne-based stand-up comedian, actor and radio personality.-Career:She has appeared frequently on Australian television since her regular slot on ABC TV's The Big Gig in 1990, and a weekly segment on Tonight Live with Steve Vizard...
- Life of the Party - 1997 - Jim Lawson & Trevor Major - Bega Than Cheesus; Miss Itchy - I Can't Stop Burrowing; Alan BroughAlan BroughAlan Brough is a New Zealand actor and comedian.Brough worked as an actor in Wellington and Auckland, mainly in live theatre...
- Generation XXL - 1998 - Crazy E - The Madness Tour; Adam RichardAdam RichardAdam Richard is an Australian comedian, actor and media personality. He stars in the ABC 1 comedy series Outland which begins in 2011.Adam has been a stand-up comedian since 1997. He had a regular gossip segment on Triple J radio in 2002-2003, where he was known as Mister Bitch. He has presented a...
- Tragedy; Meshel LaurieMeshel LaurieMeshel Laurie is an Australian comedian and radio-television personality. She was born in Toowoomba, Queensland.Laurie moved to Melbourne early in her career as a stand-up comic to take advantage of its strong comedy industry/community. Her first Melbourne International Comedy Festival show was...
- The Virgin Mary 2 - This Time It's Personal - 1999 - Tim Harris - The Neville Chamberlin show; Corinne GrantCorinne GrantCorinne Grant is an Australian comedian and television presenter.-Career:After briefly studying as a nurse in Wodonga, she embarked upon a career as an actor in Melbourne, obtaining a degree in drama. After graduating, Grant started doing stand-up comedy to overcome her stage-fright. Her first...
- Waiting for Munro; The 4 Noels - The Magnificent Seventeen - 2000 - Damian CallinanDamian CallinanDamian Callinan is a comedian from Melbourne Australia. He was formerly a secondary teacher, and taught Drama and English at Penola Catholic College.-Entertainment career:...
& Lawrence Mooney - Out and About; Gerard McCulloch - An Englishman An Irishman and a Sootsman Walk Into a Documentary; Emotional People - Rockothello - 2001 - Kim Hope - Sing Your Arse Off; Stephen HallStephen HallStephen Charles Hall is an Australian actor and writer.-Television:Halls' career in televisions includes both acting and production duties...
& Michael Ward - I Said, I Said - 2002 - Claire Bartholomew - One Man's Business; Scott Brennan - Glen Bush Teenage Superstar; Barfoot & Cantone
- 2003 - Sam Simmons - The Steve Promise Story; John KnowlesJohn KnowlesJohn Knowles was an American novelist best known for his novel A Separate Peace. He died in 2001 at the age of seventy-five.-Early life:...
- Saddle Sore; Fiona Harris and Katrina Mathers - Footy Chicks - 2004 - Damian Clark - The Bandit; Krisztian Bagin - The Beginning and End of Fin Begin; Monica Dullard's Concert After Tea
- 2005 - Gavin Baskerville - As Seen on TV; Rebecca De UnamunoRebecca De UnamunoRebecca De Unamuno is an Australian actress and comedian. De Unamuno has written and performed for a number of television comedy series, short films and stand up comedy shows.-Career:...
- Open to Suggestion; Tanya Losanno - Trophy Wife - 2006 - Richard McKenzie - Digger; Penny Tangey - Kathy Smith Goes to Maths Camp; Damian CallinanDamian CallinanDamian Callinan is a comedian from Melbourne Australia. He was formerly a secondary teacher, and taught Drama and English at Penola Catholic College.-Entertainment career:...
- Spazznuts - 2007 - Justin HamiltonJustin Hamilton (comedian)Justin Hamilton is an Australian comedian, writer and radio host.-Early life:Hamilton grew up in Adelaide, South Australia.-Career:...
in Three Colours Hammo; Alison Bice in The Wizard of Bice; Amelia Jane Hunter is Keith Flipp (The Girl from Belkendowns Flat) - 2008 - Sammy JSammy JSam McMillan is an Australian musical comedian and writer who performs under the stage name Sammy J. He embraces a variety of media in his comedy, including the use of video and self-composed music. He has released three CD compilations of his comic songs, "The Burden of Popularity", "Sammy J -...
in the Forest of Dreams (with Heath McIvor); The Axis of AwesomeThe Axis of AwesomeThe Axis of Awesome is an Australian musical comedy act. The band's members are Jordan Raskopoulos, Lee Naimo and Benny Davis. The trio cover a wide variety of performance styles, and perform a combination of original material and pop parodies.-History:...
Comeback Spectacular!; Meat the Musical (Hannah GadsbyHannah GadsbyHannah Gadsby is an award-winning Australian comedian. She quickly rose to prominence after winning the national final of the Raw Comedy competition for new comedians in 2006...
and Amelia Jane Hunter); Allsopp & Henderson‘s The Jinglists - 2009 - Asher Treleaven - Open Door; Wes Snelling in Kiosk; Dave BloustienDave BloustienDave Bloustien is an Australian comedian, improviser and comedy writer.Living and working in Sydney, New South Wales, Bloustien has written for many Australian television comedies, including ABC's The Glass House and The Sideshow, and currently writes for Channel Ten's Good News Week.As a stand-up...
- The Social Contract; Lou Sanz - Who Is Priscilla Irving? - 2010 - Adrian Calear - Code Grey; Sam Simmons & David Quirk - The Incident; Steve Sheehan - Stevl Shefn and His Translator Fatima
External links
- The Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Awards - official site at Token Artists.