Comedians vote for their peers to win the Waldos, with only one award, the Savanna Audience Choice Award, being open to public vote; and multi-award winning Sifiso Nene took home this year's Waldo for the second year running.
Pioneering comic Kagiso Lediga won the respect of his peers for his sharp-witted content creation and was awarded The Times Comic's Pen Award; a well-deserved accolade for one of SA's most venerable comedians. Mpho Popps Modikoane's youthful talent and charming comedic disposition were recognised by the industry as he was awarded the BlackBerry Breakthrough Act Award.
At Soweto's Savanna Newcomer's Showcase in June, crowds gave Schalk Bezuidenhout a standing ovation, so it was no surprise that this moustachioed comic with his trademark ironic jersey and ankle-length trousers would be voted for by industry to win the Waldo in the Savanna Newcomer Award category.
Trevor Noah was awarded The Comic's Choice Comic of the Year Award once again but was unable to attend due to health reasons, while Barry Hilton was the recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year's theme, "The Art Of Funny" centred on self-expression and social justice, so whilst audiences laughed at the collaborative sketches, there was an underlying message of how comedians, much like graffiti artists and free-runners have the ability to reshape reality, drive a revolution and change the world. The opening message of the awards encapsulated that ethos - "A free runner is a human soul that refuses to see walls. They use barriers created by authorities as canvases on which to celebrate freedom and rebellion. So do stand-up comics."
Event information: www.comicschoice.co.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sa.comics.choice.awards
Twitter: @ComicsChoice: #CCA2013
Sandra Sithole, Rethabile Shabalala and Kimara Rampersad 12 hours
