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In the closest competition of the evening, Chicago Comedian John Roy won tonight's Final battle for $100,000, a CBS development deal and a guest-starring role on a CBS program.
First up in the Comedian category was Loni Love, whose energetic routine focused on airline travel and the Middle East. Pressed for time, the judges scored Loni without comment. Despite their silence, the judges let their appreciation for Loni be known in their scores. Loni received 4 stars from Carol Leifer and Ben Stein and 5 stars from Jessica Simpson and Naomi Judd.
John Roy performed second, telling jokes about rap music and ethnicity. Carol Leifer, calling him "fresh, clever," gave John 5 stars, as did Jessica Simpson. Ben Stein gave him a "very good" and 4 stars, and Naomi Judd matched his score.
The judges tied Loni and John 18-18, and it was up to the home audience to break the tie. When home scoring was tallied, a mere one star made all the difference: John Roy won with 33 stars, and receives $100,000, a CBS development deal and a guest spot on a CBS show.
- CBS.com
ASPEN, CO March 3, 2003 - The U.S. Comedy Arts Festival announced the winners of the 2003 Festival Jury Awards, sponsored by HBO Comedy, the Film Discovery Awards, sponsored by Variety, and presented the previously announced inaugural Comedy Film Honors in a ceremony hosted by Monty Python legend Eric Idle. Idle was joined by HBO's Sex & the City stars Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis, and comedian David Alan Grier for the awards presentation.
The U.S. Comedy Arts Festival Jury Award winners for Live Performance were decided by ballots cast by industry executives attending the Festival
The Jury Awards went to:
Best Stand-up Award - Loni Love
Best One Person Show Award - Demetri Martin
Best Sketch/Alternative Award - The Hollow Men
Best Theater Award - Sandra Shamas
Loni Love is a multitalented actress/comedian who is an electrical engineer by day, stand-up comedian by night. She appears on Fox's The Best Damn Sports Show, has appeared on BET's Comic View and has starred in numerous Los Angeles theater productions.
Demetri Martin is a veteran performer on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, The Late Show With David Letterman and Comedy Central's Premium Blend.
The Hollow Men have won rave reviews and sold-out houses for Edinburgh Fringe shows.
Sandra Shamas is the Gemini Award winner for Best Performance in Comedy Work on the CBC. She is also a Governor General and Leacock Award nominee for a published trilogy of previous shows.
- HBO
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A Detroit native, Loni has been working the comedy scene for nine years. She was awarded the Jury Prize for best stand up from the 2003 US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and voted one of Variety's 2003 10 Comics to Watch. A former engineer by day and comic by night, Loni's credits include The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and The Best Damn Sports Show Period, in which she was a recurring sketch player. She was also a finalist on the first season of CBS' new Star Search. Loni has starred on VH-1's hit shows I Love the 70's/80's/90's and Best Week Ever with guest starring roles on UPN Girlfriends and Cuts. She played Viola aka Vi, the hilariously outspoken member in Mary and Jen's weight-loss group on NBC's comedy Thick and Thin. Loni is also the recurring character Lunch Lady Rose on the Nickelodeon show Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Loni performs regularly at the Comedy Store, Improv and the Ice House comedy clubs as well as performing at clubs all around the country. Her movie credits include a starring role in the independent film With or Without You and the MGM feature Soul Plane. Most recently, Lonis half hour debuted on Comedy Central Presents.
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