{alltv} Comedy Awards honours late stars

Irwin Barker -- who "killed" Canadian comedy audiences throughout his career with whipsmart material and genial stage presence -- got his posthumous due at the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards Monday night in Toronto.

The comic's comic, a.k.a. The Professor, who died of cancer in June, was pronounced the Canadian Comedy Person of the Year, and was also awarded the Dave Broadfoot Comic Genius Award and the title of best male standup.

It was a night to acknowledge loss in the industry, with tributes to other recently-deceased comic luminaries, including Maury Chaykin, Eric Tunney and legendary '70s variety producer John Aylesworth, who with his partner Frank Peppiatt, shepherded shows from Sonny & Cher to Hee Haw.

The 11th Annual Canadian Comedy Awards were the first edition of the awards to take place in its Toronto birthplace in seven years. It has bounced around from London, Ont., to Saint John, N.B. to Regina. This year it was to take place in Edmonton, but founder Tim Progosh said city council made an 11th hour decision to divert its funding to the Canadian Country Music Awards.

The show, at Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre, was hosted by Dave Foley, himself the winner of best performance by a male -- television for his role in Less Than Kind. Performances included a sketch by Foley with his Kids in the Hall mate Kevin McDonald, and sets by Ron James and Elvira Kurt. Presenters included Colin Mochrie, Gordon Pinsent and Norman Jewison.

Other winners included Laurie Elliott, who won her third best female standup award and a best performance by a female award for her performance in the Comedy Network's Almost Audrey, Mark DeBonis (best standup newcomer), Sean Tabares (best male improviser), Naomi Snieckus (best female improviser), The Second City's 0% Down, 100% Screwed (best comedic play or revue), and Toronto-based The Imponderables (best sketch troupe).

TV winners included Jon Dore (best taped live performance), Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs. Spenny) and another Kid in the Hall, Mark McKinney for best writing on Less Than Kind. That dark comedy series, which also starred Chaykin, won best performance by an ensemble.

Jacob Tierney's The Trotsky practically had the film categories to itself with star Jay Baruchel taking the film actor awards, and Tierney taking acting and directing trophies.

For a complete list of winners of the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards, go to www.canadiancomedy.ca.