Comedy Knight 2026 — a night dedicated to awarding financial support to students with an excellent sense of humor — took place at Newcomb Hall Theater Thursday. The annual event features a series of first, second and third year students performing stand-up comedy, many of whom are attempting it for the first time. After the performances, a crowd favorite voted on by the audience is announced as well as a first and second place winner voted on by student judges. The first and second place winners then receive funds on the basis of their sense of humor, academic merit and financial need.
The $4,000 scholarship was established by the children of William W. W. Knight and Beverly Randolph Knight, to carry on their parents’ love of laughter. William W. W. Knight attended the University and the couple was married in Charlottesville in 1951. Students can apply online to be performers through the University’s alumni association website, after which they audition their five-minute sets to the organizers before eight finalists are accepted for the show. The event was emceed by Clay Dickerson, fourth-year College student and Student Council president. For Dickerson, this was a full circle moment as someone who performed his first-year and won first place his second-year.
“For many of the people performing tonight, and for myself, this event is their introduction to comedy,” Dickerson said. “And it doesn’t have to become a lifelong pursuit, but it can become something meaningful for those individuals.”
Dickerson began the event by introducing himself and bringing up guest performer Julia Shuttleworth, third-year College student and last year’s winner. Shuttleworth warmed up the crowd with a set centered around an embarrassing story from her old summer camp and her complex relationship with religion. As president of The Incident sketch comedy group, Shuttleworth is deeply involved in comedy on Grounds, and finds events like these crucial for fellow students’ journeys in comedy.
“It’s a great way of being able to discover passions that you might not know you had,” Shuttleworth said. “This is a really supportive environment that encourages people, especially when they are new to this, to put themselves out there and not be afraid to try and fail.”
After Shuttleworth’s set, Dickerson introduced the eight student performers, each coming from various backgrounds and offering different comedic styles. The first set was performed by first-year Engineering student Philip Gonzales, who appeared in a full suit and black cape. Gonzales’s set was high-energy and sporadic as he marched around the stage ranting about “standing up to the man” and the materialistic nature of birthday cards. He was followed by third-year College student Nicholas Hayes, whose set revolved around both his beekeeping hobby and his taste in men.
Some of the biggest laughs of the night came from second-year College student Simi Kassim. Kassim had a relaxed, natural cadence to her set, using lots of Gen Z slang to describe her experience being an aunt at nineteen years old and went into extensive detail about her past struggles with lactose. Fourth-year College student Emma Wunderly said she loved Kassim’s set in particular.
“She was so fast and witty with all of her jokes. She felt very connected to the college-aged audience,” Wunderly said.
Second-year College student Anish Vaze then took the audience on a journey, telling stories about his trip to Alaska, where everything from the plants to the flies were out to get him. This was Vaze’s first time performing stand-up comedy, and he said he was happy to have been given the chance to try it out.
“Growing up with my Marathi heritage, I’ve always participated in little skits in the local community theater,” Vaze said. “I guess a little part of me has always missed being up on stage, and I felt like this was a good opportunity for me to get back into it.”
Next was third-year Architecture student Phillipe Hempel. Using his tape measure as a prop, Hempel talked a lot about verbal misunderstandings. He lamented about how often people confuse his architecture speech for dirty jokes, and explained his confusion from attending his first “house show” at the University and no realtor was there to greet him.
Another memorable performance was second-year College student Natalie Cook, who displayed a series of impressions of characters ordering food at a Dunkin’ Donuts. Much to the audience’s delight, Cook seamlessly embodied personas ranging from President Trump to “Greenwich Connecticut Mom” to “U.Va sorority girl” each with their own quirks and mannerisms.
Second-year College student Coco Ahn went next, going back to a more laid-back, reserved style. She used the platform to recount her qualms with the age one can get a driver’s license and got chuckles explaining her brother’s misinterpretation of the term “period piece”.
The routines concluded with second-year Engineering student Phara Byrd. Byrd had an infectious energy, and focused her set primarily on making light of a vicious bicycle crash she suffered last semester. She spared no details, and by the end of the story had the audience in stitches.
After the last performance, a brief recess occurred so the audience could submit their choice for the crowd favorite award. As the recess was taking place, the two judges, fourth-year College student Tara Sury and Anna Jeffrey, assistant director of student engagement for the University Alumni Association, convened to discuss which comedian should win first and second place. Finally, Dickerson reclaimed the stage and announced Byrd as the crowd favorite winner. Then, Dickerson brought both Byrd and Kassim onstage as semifinalists. He held both Kassim and Byrd’s hands. When he lifted both up, it was revealed that they tied for first place, and that both would be receiving the first place scholarship money.
After getting second place last year, Byrd was elated to be awarded both the top prize and crowd favorite this year.
“U.Va. isn’t just about being academic … but also about being yourself and talking about your pain, but also laughing about it too,” Byrd said.
The night ended with all of the participants coming together onstage and Byrd leading the audience in her rendition of the “Good Old Song.” Reflecting on his time as both a comedian and organizer of the event, Dickerson believes that scholarship isn’t the only benefit from performing.
“To an extent, I don’t even know if the money is the real reward,” Dickerson said. “I think it’s the opportunity to engage in something new and scary and to grow from it.”
While the next Comedy Knight won’t be until next spring, the University comedy community thrives year-round. Students can participate by joining improv or sketch comedy groups, or test out their own stand-up sets at open mics around Charlottesville.
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