SOUTH African comedian Tats Nkonzo walked away with the top award at the 2014 Montreux Comedy Festival on Sunday.
For the past four years, the gathering in Switzerland has been a launching pad for new comedians in France and Switzerland and was this year opened to talent from the US, UK and Africa.
Some 200 comedians participated in the first round of the competition and were whittled down to 30. After a phase of online voting, the public and the jury chose the finalists.
Nkonzo beat off competition from his countryman Loyiso Madinga, Alex Smith and Chris Turner from UK and Maureen Langan and Orlando Baxter from the US who all made the finals.
Nkonzo who also hosts SA's Got Talent on e.tv enthused: "People don't know or recognise the greatness of South African artists. Winning in Switzerland is just another sign post that leads the sleeping world to see we have amazing talent in our genes ," he said.
Spurred on by the win, Nkonzo said he would be working on writing greater jokes. "The work speaks. And opens all these doors. So I have to not neglect the craft. Choosing projects wisely is the science of a great career. So, when I come back, the need to reflect with my team is needed. But for now, party."
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
SA comedian wins top prize
SOUTH African comedian Tats Nkonzo walked away with the top award at the 2014 Montreux Comedy Festival on Sunday.
For the past four years, the gathering in Switzerland has been a launching pad for new comedians in France and Switzerland and was this year opened to talent from the US, UK and Africa.
Some 200 comedians participated in the first round of the competition and were whittled down to 30. After a phase of online voting, the public and the jury chose the finalists.
Nkonzo beat off competition from his countryman Loyiso Madinga, Alex Smith and Chris Turner from UK and Maureen Langan and Orlando Baxter from the US who all made the finals.
Nkonzo who also hosts SA's Got Talent on e.tv enthused: "People don't know or recognise the greatness of South African artists. Winning in Switzerland is just another sign post that leads the sleeping world to see we have amazing talent in our genes ," he said.
Spurred on by the win, Nkonzo said he would be working on writing greater jokes. "The work speaks. And opens all these doors. So I have to not neglect the craft. Choosing projects wisely is the science of a great career. So, when I come back, the need to reflect with my team is needed. But for now, party."
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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