ECNY Winners Drink, Curse, Discuss Toilet Troubles

New York’s best up-and-coming comedians (and their roommates) gathered at the 92Y Tribeca last night to get drunk and pass around a bunch of donkey statues. A fun time was had by all—or at least by some. A few people probably had lousy times, but who cares?

The 7th annual ECNY Awards honored the city’s emerging comics. In fact, “ECNY” used to stand for “Emerging Comics of New York.” Now it stands for something else. Winners were chosen by an industry panel and votes cast online, because nothing in this world is relevant unless you can vote on it in an Internet poll. The industry votes counted more than the online votes, but the formula is too complicated to explain. People voted for things. That’s all you need to know.

“Is Temple Grandin here?” host John Friedman asked from the stage near top of the show. Friedman went on to explain that, in ECNY tradition, any recipient who went over the 30-second acceptance-speech time limit would be played off the stage to 2 Live Crew’s “Me So Horny.”

Accepting the first (or was it the second? I was drinking) award, for best variety show, “Hot Tub With Kurt and Kristen” co-host Kurt Braunohler announced, “I’m happy to win an award so early in the night when everybody still gives a fucking shit.” Braunholer’s co-host, Kristen Schaal could not attend. She was busy hosting the variety show “Hot Tub With Kurt and Kristen.”

Also not in attendance was “Big Terrific” co-host Jenny Slate. Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri, who host that show, too, were on hand to present whatever it was they won last year to someone else this year. One of them said that Slate was absent because “she probably has diarrhea.” I don’t remember which one said it. What?

Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp won the award for best video for a thing about a talking shell. Sketch group Serious Lunch won the award for best sketch group. They were the first winners to get “Me So Horney”-ed.

Here’s who won stuff:

Best host
Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal

Best flyer of postcard design
"The Paul Downs Syndrome," Rylan Morrison

Best sketch-comedy group
Serious Lunch

Best technician
Beowulf Jones

Best comedy podcast
"Risk! True Tales, Boldly Told"

Best book
"The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex," Kristen Schaal and Rich Blomquist

Best comedic video (short or series)
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp

Best comedy event
The 12th Annual Del Close Marathon

Outstanding achievement in the field of tweeting
@chrisgethard

Best one-person show
“Prison Freaks,” Shannon O’Neill

The emerging comic award
Paul W. Downs

Best storyteller
Tom Shillue

Best musical comedy act (group or solo)
Adira Amram

Best male stand-up comedian
Kurt Braunohler

Best female stand-up comedian
Andrea Rosen