In what was once considered a male-dominated industry, women have been making waves in the comedy industry for quite some time. Outside of leaving audiences in stitches with their stand-up, these highly talented women also have contributed to award-winning television programs with their unique writing abilities.
Seasoned veterans such as Wanda Sykes and Loni Love continue to reinvent themselves year after year, while this era’s comics like B. Simone and Pretty Vee use the internet and social media to increase engagement and further hone their crafts. All of these women comedians have evolved their careers from stand-up, to creating opportunities for themselves, as well as others, in many different lanes of entertainment.
Take a look at eight women comedians winning big in 2022.
01
Jessica Williams
The funny and talented Williams has been in the game for over 15 years. After bursting on to the national spotlight in 2012 as a correspondent for The Daily Show, she also co-hosted the podcast/comedy series 2 Dope Queens. This past year, Williams starred in the hit film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and was the voice of Meadow in Kid Cudi’s Entergalactic. She is set to star in Shrinking for Apple TV+ next year.
Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images
02
Sam Jay
Since 2021, Sam Jay has been at the helm of her own HBO comedy series, PAUSE with Sam Jay. This year, she also co-created and co-starred in the Peacock comedy Bust Down and served as the announcer for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.
03
Mo’Nique
After years of being what she deemed as blackballed from the industry, Mo’Nique has seen a career resurgence in 2022. She has landed a role on the Starz series ‘BMF’ and is set to film a comedy special in Atlanta for Netflix by the end of the year.
04
B. Simone
This comedian is a long standing cast member of MTV’s hit series Wild N Out with six seasons to her name – her other acting credits include multiple feature films as well as dozens of appearances on BET, MTV, and VH1. In addition to her wildly popular makeup line and fitness brand, she can also be seen in Scheme Queens.
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
05
Pretty Vee
Pretty Vee has taken her hilarious talents from social media to TV sets with a role on Issa Rae’s new HBO Max series Rap Sh!t which is especially fitting for the Miami native.
06
Wanda Sykes
Sykes is a seasoned veteran in the standup circuit and has only gotten better with time. She has long been a respected writer and actress in entertainment, and in 2022 she co-hosted the 94th Annual Academy Awards. She also had a voiceover role in the video game Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and stars in Q-Force and Netflix’s The Upshaws alongside Mike Epps.
Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for ELLE
07
Sherri Shepherd
The Emmy Award-winning Sherri Shepherd has been in the comedy game for almost 30 years. She had a big year in 2022; her daytime talk show Sherri debuted, where she hosts a segment called The Laugh Lounge, paying homage to her roots in stand up comedy.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Disney
08
Loni Love
This comedian, television host, actress, author, and former electrical engineer launched her career in standup comedy in the early 2000s. Along with co-hosting The Real until it’s cancellation this past June, Love also hosted E! Daily Pop, Rupaul’s Drag Race, and Is It Cake?
Photo by Brandon Hickman/NBC via Getty Images
09
Quinta Brunson
2022 is easily the year of Quinta Brunson. The Abbott Elementary creator and showrunner’s name is on everyone’s tongues and at the top of innumerable awards lists including the 74th Annual Emmys where the sitcom won for Outstanding Casting in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy series.
