SiriusXM Canada Crowns Canada's Next Top Comic
- After four rounds of comedy competition, SiriusXM Canada has found Canada's Next Top Comic.
- Ontario's Pete Zedlacher stole the show at the Just For Laughs JFL42 Festival and went home with a grand prize of $15,000 and title of SiriusXM's Next Top Comic
TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2013 /CNW/ - SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), the country's leading audio entertainment company, today announced the winner of the nation-wide talent search for SiriusXM's Next Top Comic. In a knockout performance at Toronto's Just For Laughs JFL42 Festival, Pete Zedlacher had the audience in stitches, earning himself the SiriusXM's Next Top Comic crown.
"We couldn't be more impressed with the comics who made it to the finals tonight," said Ben Miner, Canadian comic and host of SiriusXM's Canada Laughs channel. "Everyone worked so hard during the competition and they all deserve a prize for their effort. That being said, Pete absolutely nailed his set tonight and he earned this."
"SiriusXM Canada is committed to helping to support Canadian comedians, and our Next Top Comic competition shows just how much talent we have in this country," said Joe Thistel, Director of Programming at SiriusXM Canada. "We owe the Just For Laughs Festival and all of our comics a huge thank you for their commitment to making this a great show possible for our audience."
After receiving video submissions and hosting auditions throughout Calgary, Halifax, Kitchener, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg, SiriusXM whittled down the list to the top contenders. Canadians were then invited to vote online and chose a frontrunner from each city to take the stage on the opening night of JFL42 at Second City. Pete Zedlacher was named SiriusXM's Next Top Comic by a panel of comedy judges before a packed audience. Previous winners of SiriusXM Canada's Next Top Comic contest, Eric Andrews (2011) and Matt O'Brien (2010), opened up the first and second halves of the show and former Saturday Night Live cast member Colin Quinn closed the event as headliner.
"There are few opportunities for comics in Canada to gain the kind of exposure SiriusXM has given me and the other finalists. The Next Top Comic contest was a blast through every step," said Zedlacher, originally from Wawa, Ontario now residing in Toronto. "It was great experience. I got to work with some of my favorite comics and meet this country's funniest up-and-comers. And the prize money is pretty sweet, but having Colin Quinn say "Nice set, Pete," might be the highlight."
The show was broadcast live to SiriusXM subscribers on Canada Laughs, channel 168 and will be replayed on Saturday, September 21st at 6 pm ET and on Sunday, September 22nd at 12 pm ET. SiriusXM's Canada Laughs is dedicated to supporting up-and-coming Canadian talent and is Canada's number one source for original and uncut Canadian comedy. The channel offers an extraordinary comedic talent pool that takes centre stage daily with stand-up, sketch, music, festivals and interviews with Canada's funniest men and women.
About SiriusXM Canada
Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. (TSX: XSR) operates as SiriusXM Canada. SiriusXM Canada, with over 2.2 million subscribers, is the country's leading audio entertainment company and broadcasts more than 120 satellite radio channels featuring premier sports, news, talk, entertainment and commercial-free music. SiriusXM Canada offers an array of content from the most recognized news and entertainment brands as well as every major sport including the NHL, NFL, MLB and CFL.
SiriusXM programming is available on a variety of devices including pre-installed and after-market radios in cars, trucks and boats, smartphones and mobile devices, and consumer electronics products for homes and offices. SiriusXM programming is also available online at www.siriusxm.ca and on Apple, and Android-powered mobile devices.
SiriusXM Canada has partnerships with every major automaker and its radio products are available at more than 3,000 retail locations nationwide. To find out more about SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), visit our website at www.siriusxm.ca.
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SOURCE: SiriusXM Canada
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