Comedian Abby Howells has taken home this year's prestigious Billy T Award.
The award, which celebrates fresh talent in the Aotearoa comedy industry, has been won by the likes of Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Rose Matafeo.
The 32-year-old comedian hails from Dunedin. Her previous show, HarleQueen, won the Director's Award at the 2021 Comedy Festival.
It's a full circle moment for Howells to take out the prize, after leaving the industry for a number of years.
"I started doing stand up in my early 20s and I thought, 'Oh, this is going to be the thing I do,'" she said.
"But I was sexually harassed by another male comedian and it really rattled me. I didn't do comedy again for like seven years. So during those years I convinced myself that I hated comedy and I never wanted to do it again."
She says the comedy space is now becoming more inclusive.
"I think that was a big reason why I didn't want to come back. Comedy spaces can be so masculine. People are really drunk so you have to deal with hecklers, there's a lot of battles you have to fight."
And she's not without some sage advice for other up and coming female comedians.
"I would say go to an open mic night and sit in the audience. You'll go, 'Wow, I'm funnier than 90% of these men! If that guy can get up and do it, then oh my gosh, I can certainly do it too!'"
SHARE ME