Sammy J
Award-winning comedian, author and musician
Sammy J is an award-winning comedian, author and musician. A proud nerd, he abandoned his law degree to travel the world and sing funny songs for a living. You may have seen him on TV, at a festival, or as one
half of the man/puppet duo Sammy J & Randy.
As a solo act, Sammy J won the Best Newcomer award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He has since performed in Edinburgh, Montreal, and every major Australian comedy festival. His album “Skinny Man, Modern World” received an ARIA nomination for Best Comedy Release, and he gained a national following with his satirical take on the 2016 Federal Election, “Sammy J’s Playground Politics”. His recent
solo show, "Hero Complex", won Best Comedy at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and was nominated for a Helpmann Award in 2017.
Collaborating with Heath McIvor, "Sammy J & Randy" received the Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival. Their acclaimed live shows have taken them from the Sydney Opera House to London’s West End, and in 2015 they were handpicked by Neil Patrick Harris to appear in his Montreal Gala. Their musical sitcom, “Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane”, premiered on ABC TV in 2015 before launching in the USA & Netflix UK, and was nominated for three AACTA awards.
As a composer, Sammy J has written countless comedy songs for stage and screen, and scored the incidental music for “Ricketts Lane” and “Sammy J’s Playground Politics”.
Away from the comedy world, Sammy J’s MC skills have seen him host award shows, interview politicians, and inject much-needed humour into corporate events. He regularly runs workshops in schools, and his debut middle-grade novel, "The Long Class Goodnight”, was released in 2018.
Sammy J is a proud Ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters and Oxfam and has travelled to South Africa and PNG to witness their work firsthand.
Sammy J's biggest project remains unfinished. In 2008, he started “The 50 Year Show” a comedy spectacular that will run every five years until 2058. The show continued in Melbourne in 2018. In 2019, Sammy brings his hit ABC TV characters to the stage in his new show ‘Sammy J’s Major Party.’ Currently, Sammy’s satirical sketches can be seen every Thursday night on ABC.