In 2024, as the film and television industry looked to repair after the year of double labor strikes, comedy continued to explode. Emerging in recent years as the leader in the field, Netflix got the biz off to a good start with a second edition of its festival, Netflix Is a Joke, which expanded its scope as 600-plus artists hit Los Angeles over the course of 12 days, with more than 360,000 tickets sold.

Netflix released nearly 40 stand-up specials this year, but Hulu showed that they’re not to be outdone with the launch of Hularious, a stand-up brand that will see specials from the likes of Bill Burr and Sebastian Maniscalco hitting the platform. During Disney’s Upfront presentation in May, Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, expressed the intention to make Hulu “a best-in-class destination for comedic talent,” having never before invested in this low-cost, high-impact arena of content.

Prevailing as the top-grossing comic in Pollstar’s mid-year report on North American tours, at a gross exceeding $48 million, was Nashville’s Nate Bargatze. The result put him in the company of such elite musical artists as Bad Bunny, Madonna and U2, demonstrating the cultural cachet of the comedian today, with the end-of-year report still to come.

Ahead of the holiday shutdown, we polled sources around town about up-and-coming comics who have the potential to get to those heights. Generally speaking, our focus was on original voices, written material over crowd work, and comics who have not had their moment on one of these lists in years past. (Honorable mentions who can say that include Caleb Hearon and Pat Regan.)

Here, in alphabetical order, are 15 we’d bet on as the stars of tomorrow.

CHANEL ALI

The first of many comics here representing New York City, Ali is a strong joke writer who has previously been seen on Epix’s Unprotected Sets, also putting together multiple sets for Comedy Central. Named a Just For Laughs New Face at the 2019 edition of the Montreal festival, she’s currently exploring an Off Broadway run of her solo show Relative Stranger, and developing a pilot based on the material. The show is a hilarious and heartfelt hour about how to fight your trauma, and win, detailing her tumultuous foster care childhood, her mother’s untimely slip into schizophrenia, and a court-ordered paternity test that led her to meet her cop dad when she was 18 years old. Other screen credits include MTV’s Girl Code, Night Train with Wyatt Cenac, and Netflix’s Dash & Lily.

Reps: AGI Entertainment Media & Management; Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

JEFF ARCURI

The fastest-selling comedian at this year’s New York Comedy Festival with two sold-out Beacon Theatre performances, Arcuri recently announced his Whole Wide World Tour, with headlining performances in 57 cities across several continents, kicking off with four sold-out shows at The Wiltern in Los Angeles in January. Frequently going viral with his crowd work, his ticket-selling prowess has soared dramatically over the last year. Last spring, he was performing in 200-capacity comedy clubs, but by June of this year, he’d ascended to headlining theaters with a capacity of 3,000, consistently selling out three to five shows every weekend. This year alone, he’s sold over 250,000 tickets. Chicago-based and Michigan-raised, Arcuri has showcased on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, Laughs! on Fox, SiriusXM, and at numerous comedy festivals nationwide. His subreddit, r/JeffArcuri, ranks in the top 1%, boasting over 200,000 active members, and frequently lands him on the front page, which makes him one of the pioneering stand-ups on the platform.

Reps: Brillstein Entertainment Partners

KATHERINE BLANFORD

A charismatic Kentucky-born comedian who’s toured across the country and internationally sharing confessions of her Southern family secrets and awkward adolescent years, Blanford just wrapped her debut headlining tour, selling more than 12,000 tickets, and released her first hour special, Catholic Cowgirl, through 800 Pound Gorilla on December 5. At this early stage of her career, she’s amassed 74M+ views on her YouTube channel; seen her debut album, Salt Daddy, reach No. 1 on the iTunes Charts; and completed a Don’t Tell Comedy set with millions of views online. Featured as a panelist on CBS’ After Midnight, she’s also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Barstool’s KFC Radio, What a Joke with Tom Papa and Fortune Feimster and more, and co-hosts the podcast Cheaties with fellow comic Lace Larrabee.

Reps: Independent Artist Group; Arsonhouse Entertainment

FERN BRADY

One of the UK’s hottest comedy stars who awaits her big break stateside, this Scottish comic is coming off the release of her first Netflix special, Autistic Bikini Queen, in which she reflects on her late diagnosis of autism just three years ago. Known for her caustic wit, along with her exceptional writing and stagecraft, she came to pursue stand-up as a career after writing a 2009 article for Fest Magazine about her experience making the leap from critic to performer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In the years since, she’s been seen on Live from the BBC, The Last Leg, The Russell Howard Hour and Live at the Apollo, also appearing as a contestant on the 14th series of the UK show Taskmaster. Currently hosting the podcast What a Combo, in 2023 she released her debut Sunday Times Bestselling autobiography Strong Female Character, discussing everything from her Catholic upbringing and homelessness to her autism diagnosis, last year. The book won Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the Books Are My Bag Awards and was one of Audible’s Top Books of the Year.

Reps: WME; Individual Artist Management

NICO CARNEY

A trans stand-up, writer, and actor based in New York City, Carney showcased earlier this year as part of “Introducing…” at Netflix Is a Joke Fest as he looks to build his industry profile. Currently headlining comedy clubs across the country, he recently sold out his headlining show at the New York Comedy Festival, also performing at the Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin, TX. He’s supported Jonathan Van Ness on tour and made his late-night debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers at the top of this year. At present, he and his comedy partner Conor Janda are also developing their pilot, Boys, with Scott King supervising for Imagine Entertainment. Additionally, he and Janda co-host the podcast Boys Club and co-host a monthly NY-based stand-up show of the same name. As an actor, Carney has been seen on Comedy Central Originals and will next be seen starring opposite Suzanne Cryer and Mark Indelicato in She’s the He, an indie comedy from Siobhan McCarthy.

Reps: UTA; Authentic Talent and Literary Management

AARON CHEN

Like Brady, Chen is a comic quickly climbing the ranks of the international scene. Born and raised in Sydney, he began performing at pubs in the city after being named one of the Melbourne Comedy Festival’s “Class Clowns” in 2012, aged 15. He debuted his first solo show in 2017 and has earned the awards for Best Newcomer (2017) and Director’s Choice (2019), as well as a nomination for Best Show (2021), at the same festival, supporting Ronny Chieng in Australia and touring nationally in front of sold-out crowds. Seen on Australia’s No. 1 panel show Have You Been Paying Attention, Chen’s acclaimed 2021 Adult Swim special A Life in Questions was nominated for Best Short Form Comedy Special at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, leading to development deals with Adult Swim/WarnerMedia. His stand-up special, If It Weren’t Filmed, Nobody Would Believe, has accumulated almost 1 million views since its release on YouTube in September 2022, and he sold 28,000 tickets in Melbourne across 10 shows earlier this year. Upcoming, the currently NYC-based comic will be seen opposite Amy Schumer in Netflix/Happy Madison’s Kinda Pregnant, also appearing alongside Jake Johnson in pickleball comedy The Dink.

Reps: UTA; 3 Arts Entertainment

DINA HASHEM

Known for her deadpan delivery and nuanced observations on her Islamic upbringing, Hashem has garnered Emmy and WGA Award nominations for her work on the writing staff of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Last year, she took to Prime Video with the acclaimed Dark Little Whispers, her first hourlong special, which fellow comic Sam Morril got behind as executive producer. Hashem has also been seen on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, Night Train with Wyatt Cenac, 2 Dope Queens, This Week at the Comedy Cellar and more. Additionally, she’s staffed on FX’s B.J. Novak anthology The Premise, Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls and Ramy Youssef’s upcoming animated series #1 Happy Family USA for A24 and Amazon. A 2020 Sundance Episodic Lab alum previously named one of Team Coco’s Comics to Watch, Hashem also formerly hosted the prank podcast Party Line, which was developed into a non-scripted format.

Reps: WME

JORDAN JENSEN

A Brooklyn-based comic who has recently graduated from clubs to sold-out theater performances, Jensen recently inked a deal for her first hour special with Netflix, which is expected to premiere next year. Previously, she put out the half-hour 30 Minutes with Jordan Jensen, which has 849,000 views on YouTube, as well as the short self-produced special Death Chunk, which has 470K. Jensen started comedy in upstate New York before moving to Nashville, where she spent a year working for clubs and taking her comedy on the road in her pickup truck. Her material consists of tales of her bizarre upbringing, highly unconventional family, and filterless confessions of her time on this filthy planet. Out on the road recently as a supporting act for Tom Segura, she’s also known for co-hosting the podcast Bein’ Ian with Jordan with comedian Ian Fidance, along with her own podcast RIP Jordan Jensen, and has a growing presence on social, with 473K followers on Instagram and more than 248K on TikTok. Jensen became the first female comic to win NY’s Funniest Stand Up at the New York Comedy Festival in 2021.

Reps: AGI Entertainment Media & Management; WME; Yorn, Levine, Barnes

MATT MATHEWS

Rising to social media fame during the pandemic, Mathews this fall kicked off his Boujee on a Budget tour, presented by Live Nation, the first leg of which includes stops in more than 53 U.S. cities. Prior to that selling over 150,000 tickets on his debut headlining tour When That Thang Get Ta Thang’n, he’s known for material covering growing up gay in Alabama, his career as a boudoir photographer, relationships, taboo sexual encounters and daily live on the Birmingham farm where you’ll find him when he’s not touring. A popular feature of his touring act is Confessions with Matt, adapted from his video series of the same name, where he offers a real-time comedic take on audience members who voluntarily spill their deepest, darkest secrets. With over 4.9 million followers on TikTok and over 2.1 million on Instagram, Mathews unveiled Doin’ the Most With Matt Mathews, a new YouTube series following him as he takes on new challenges, from ballet classes to bartending, back in September. He taped his first stand-up special at the Alabama Theatre this past July, with 800 Pound Gorilla producing.

Reps: CAA; Vault Entertainment

CHLOE RADCLIFFE

A NYC-based comedian, actor and writer, Radcliffe recently toplined the New York Times‘ list of eight recommended shows to see at the New York Comedy Festival, where she was named a TBS Comic to Watch in 2017. The show is the critically acclaimed Cheat, in which she unpacks her history of serially cheating in romantic relationships. She’s been touring the U.S. with the show since taking it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a sold-out run. Originally from Minnesota, Radcliffe has been seen opening for such top comics as Dave Attell and Bargatze, among others. Recently, she’s been seen starring in Steven Soderbergh’s sci-fi web series Command Z, for which she was also a staff writer. She also previously staffed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for two years before debuting a Comedy Central: Featuring set in 2022. Radcliffe produces Minneapolis’ 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival and has a feature in development at Sony/Columbia Pictures.

Reps: Gersh; Artists First; Ginsburg Daniels Kallis

BECKY ROBINSON

The L.A.-based Robinson has gone from viral sensation to a sold-out theater act with Entitled Housewife, an outspoken golfer character she introduced during the pandemic via a pair of self-produced variety specials. Entitled Housewife’s antics have racked up millions of views across social media and have led to dozens of private bookings at country clubs and golf courses nationwide, also helping Robinson break out as one of the casino circuit’s rising stars. In 2022, Robinson’s Entitled Housewife released “Mama Needs a Claw,” an original song that gained traction on radio and streaming platforms. In 2025, the comic will be hosting her first ever Entitled Housewife Getaway Weekend golf tournament, a fan event taking place in Tulum, Mexico, as an extension of her brand. Robinson was named a New Face at Just for Laughs, where her stand-out multi-character performance landed her a sketch show development deal and voice-over jobs with DreamWorks, Nickelodeon and Netflix. She grossed seven-plus figures over the course of 103 shows in 2024 and is set to tape her first stand-up special at The Wilbur in Boston in March.

Reps: CAA; Arsonhouse Entertainment; Ziffren Brittenham

CASEY ROCKET

One of the more unique comedic voices you’re likely to come across today, Rocket’s career has blown up since being named a permanent regular earlier this year on hit podcast Kill Tony. This year, the pod has had him performing on two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, and at the Kia Forum, as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest. Nicknamed “The Crab Man” for the crab walk he’s known to do on stage, Rocket began his comedy career in the pool halls of South Georgia before making his way to Atlanta. He moved to Texas in 2021, and has since then gone from living in his Ford Escape to winning the inaugural Austin Comedy Competition. After that victory, he successfully auditioned to join the first class of Door Guys at Joe Rogan’s Comedy Mothership, which led to performances alongside some of the biggest names in comedy and his involvement with Kill Tony. Rocket’s stand-up has taken him to major festivals like SXSW, Skankfest Vegas, the Boston Comedy Festival, the Aloha Comedy Festival and more. Last year, he competed a 34-city tour, selling out major markets and adding additional shows due to demand. Next year, he’s set to play 30+ cities including in Europe and Australia.

Reps: UTA

KC SHORNIMA

One of the newest Weekend Update writers on Saturday Night Live, Shornima is currently developing a half-hour scripted series with Irony Point while preparing her first hourlong special as a stand-up. Previously a staff writer for Comedy Central’s live-action/animated satirical news show Tooning Out the News, co-created and executive produced by Stephen Colbert, she shot a 15-minute set for Don’t Tell Comedy last year. She’s been seen performing alongside comics like Neal Brennan, Bargatze and Attell, and has also written and performed for Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. Named the Best Up-and-Coming Comedian in Nashville by Nashville Scene Magazine, she was a semifinalist for StandUp NBC and was named a Just For Laughs New Face in 2022.

Reps: WME; Artists First; Felker Toczek Suddleson

GIANMARCO SORESI

A New York-based Maryland native, Soresi’s first special, Shelf Life, released in 2020, garnered three New York Emmy nominations. Seen on Netflix’s multi-comic stand-up series Verified Standup, he’s also performed sets for Don’t Tell Comedy and Comedy Central, winning Season 8 of Amazon’s Comics Watching Comics. Soresi made his late-night debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden in November 2022 and was selected as a Just For Laughs New Face the same year. As an actor, he’s been seen in Billy Crystal’s Here Today, Netflix’s Bonding, Hustlers opposite Jennifer Lopez, and The Last O.G. He’s also the host of the podcast The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi.

Reps: WME; Brillstein Entertainment Partners; Cohen & Gardner

RENÉ VACA

A 28-year-old stand-up, writer and actor from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, Vaca was one of nine up-and-coming comics selected for the Introducing… showcase at Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2024. The winner of the 16th annual StandUp NBC competition, he got his break at the HAHA Comedy Club in Burbank after dropping out of college to pursue his passion for comedy. Vaca’s material draws from his experiences as a first-generation Mexican-American, navigating themes of family, cultural identity and the humor found in everyday challenges. Currently, he’s performing to sold-out audiences in clubs and theaters across North America, where between two and four shows are often added to meet the demand of ticket buyers. Vaca also regularly sells out Leg Day, a monthly show he hosts at the Hollywood Laugh Factory, and is developing a scripted series for a major streaming platform. He boasts a social media following of over 2 million and 50 million views across platforms.

Reps: WME; 3 Arts Entertainment