DeAnne Smith

DeAnne Smith
Born	July 22, 1979 Endicott, New York
Medium	Live performance, television, Radio
Nationality	American
Years active	2005 – present
Genres	Stand-up
Influences	Bill Hicks, Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone
Website	deannesmith.com

DeAnne Smith is an award-winning Canadian-American comedian, writer and columnist. Smith first gained notice as a comedian in 2008 touring her debut full-length solo stand-up show to popular and critical acclaim, culminating in her winning the Sydney Comedy Festival's Time Out Best Newcomer Award^[1] and earning a nomination for Best Newcomer in the 2008 Canadian Comedy Awards.^[2] Smith has since continued to tour internationally, with her shows proving to be both commercial and critical successes. Her shows have seen Smith nominated for numerous awards, including the Melbourne Comedy Festival's prestigious Barry Award in 2011^[3] and being consistently rated amongst Montreal's Top 10 comedians. In addition to her live solo shows, Smith is also known for her appearances on television and radio, most notably on Australia's Good News Week on the Channel 10 network and HBO series Funny As Hell.^[4]

Smith began performing stand-up in 2005 at the age of 25, and has produced four solo shows which have toured internationally. She also created and hosts four live comedy show series in Montreal, and co-wrote a show with Sarah Quinn and Samuel Booth which made its festival debut in 2011.^[5]

Career

Festival appearances

• 2011,^[6] 2012 – Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Edinburgh
• 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011,^[7] 2012, 2013, 2014 – Just for Laughs; Montreal
• 2010,^[8] 2011, 2012, 2013 – Melbourne International Comedy Festival
• 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 – Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow
• 2008, 2009,^[9] 2010,^[10] 2011,^[11] 2012 – Sydney Comedy Festival
• 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 – Adelaide Fringe Festival
• 2012^[12] – Perth International Comedy Festival; Perth
• 2012 – Brisbane Comedy Festival; Brisbane
• 2010 – Hobart Comedy Festival^[13]

Media appearances

Smith has been rated amongst Montreal's Top 10 Comedians over the past five years, ranking #3 in 2010–2012,^[14][15] and #4 from 2007–2009.^{[16][17] [18]} as reported in the The Montreal Mirror, which also named her a Noisemaker in 2009.^[19] Smith regularly appears on television and radio in Canada and Australia. Her radio appearances, include Australia's ABC, Triple J, and Canada's CBC Radio One, where she has appeared as a regular on Definitely Not the Opera, and The Debaters. In 2012 she appeared on British TV for the first time, on Morgan Spurlock's Sky Atlantic programme New Britannia.

• 2013 – The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; CBS, US
• 2012 – New Britannia; Sky Atlantic, Britain
• 2012 – Melbourne International Comedy Festival Opening Night Gala for Oxfam; Channel Ten, Australia
• 2011 – Funny As Hell; HBO, Canada
• 2009, 2010, 2011 – Good News Week; Channel Ten, Australia
• 2009 – The Comedy Network, Canada
• 2007, 2014 – Last Comic Standing; NBC, US

Solo shows

• 2013 – DeAnne Smith: Let's Do This!
• 2012 – DeAnne Smith: Livin' the Sweet Life
• 2011 – DeAnne Smith: The Best DeAnne Smith DeAnne Smith Can Be
• 2011 – About Freakin' Time
• 2010 – DeAnne Smith: BALLSY
• 2009 – DeAnne Smith Lacks Focus
• 2008 – Shouting Over Drunks

Other work

Creator and host

• 2010–present – Happenglad's New Hat
• 2010–present – Freedom Nation
• 2008–present – Stand Up / Strip Down
• 2008–2010 – Tale Spin!
• 2005 – 2009 – Comedy OFF the Main

Co-writer

• 2011 – Sarah Quinn in Other People's Problems; with Sarah Quinn and Samuel Booth^[20]

Awards

• 2012 – Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Amused Moose Top Ten; shortlisted
• 2011 – Canadian Comedy Awards – Best Female Stand-Up; nominated^[21]
• 2011 – Melbourne International Comedy Festival – Barry Award for Most Outstanding Comedy Show; nominated
• 2009 – Adelaide Fringe Festival – Best Established Comedian; nominated^[22]
• 2008 – Canadian Comedy Awards – Best Newcomer; nominated
• 2008 – Sydney Comedy Festival – Time Out Best Newcomer; won

References

1. "Time Out Sydney Comedy Awards". Time Out Sydney. June 23, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
2. "Canadian Comedy Awards 2008 – The Nominees". The Comedy Network. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
3. AAP (April 17, 2011). "Barry Award Nominees Announced". The Age (Fairfax). Retrieved April 19, 2011.
4. "Just for Laughs 2011: Deanne Smith". Montreal Gazette. July 20, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
5. "Other People's Problems". Retrieved June 24, 2011.
6. "2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival". Edinburgh Fringe Festival. June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
7. Bill Brownstein (June 10, 2011). "Promising new voices, and an old pro, too". The Gazette. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
8. Laurel Green (April 6, 2010). "Ballsy-DeAnne Smith". Australian Stage. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
9. "2009 Sydney Comedy Festival". Sydney Comedy Festival. April 27, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
10. "2010 Sydney Comedy Festival". Sydney Comedy Festival. April 19, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
11. "Upcoming Events Deanne Smith: About Freakin' Time". Sydney Comedy Festival. April 19, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
12. "2012 Perth International Comedy Festival". Perth International Comedy Festival. May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
13. Briony Kidd (July 29, 2010). "The Hobart Comedy Festival". Australian Stage. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
14. "Best of Montreal 2010". Montreal Mirror. 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
15. "Best of Montreal 2011". Montreal Mirror. 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
16. "Best of Montreal 2007". Montreal Mirror. May 31, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
17. "Best of Montreal 2008". Montreal Mirror. May 15, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
18. "Best of Montreal 2009". Montreal Mirror. May 14, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
19. Lina Harper (January 8, 2009). "Noisemakers 2009 – Subverting the Norm". Montreal Mirror. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
20. "Other People's Problems". Australian Stage. April 19, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
21. "Canadian Comedy Award Nominees 2011". Canadian Comedy Foundation of Excellence. June 9, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
22. "Fringe Festival 2009 Wrap". Festival Freak. March 10, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2011.