Bay Area Black Comedy Competition returns to Oakland
By Loureen Ayyoub
The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition has returned to Oakland, bringing comedians from across the country to the historic Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, where this year’s winner will be crowned Sunday in the Calvin Simmons Theatre.
The annual festival, based in Oakland, has long served as a launching pad for rising comics. Past participants have included Jamie Foxx, Katt Williams, Nick Cannon, Matt Rife and more.
Organizers say the event draws talent from around the world. Angelia Walker traveled from Texas for a chance to compete.”I’ve basically been doing comedy for 20 years, and to have the opportunity, this is my first time in the Bay Area,” Walker said.
The competition resumed after being paused mid-event in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the opening day of this year’s festival, finalists from 2020 returned to complete their run.
After a six-year delay, comedian Mario Hodge emerged as the 2020 winner.
“I started comedy late, in my 40s, so this is my first time ever doing a comedy competition, and I just so happened to win,” Hodge said.
The festival awards cash prizes and offers performers opportunities to connect with talent scouts and producers.
Founder Tony Spires said he created the competition after experiencing racial discrimination at comedy clubs in San Francisco during the 1980s.
“That was what motivated me in the first place to start this thing, because we were being rejected,” Spires said. “I said, this isn’t right, so what we been doing now is, yes, giving our comedians a voice. We created it for our people, but we welcome everybody.”
This year’s event also marks a return to the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts for the first time since the venue’s 2005 closure. Event organizer Erroll Jackson said maintaining the festival’s connection to the site is important.
“It’s really important that that kind of culture, and that kind of history, that identifies with Oakland, stays that way,” Jackson said. “And so we are really excited to be a part of it, and bringing it back to the Henry J.”
Hodge said he believes the long wait to claim his title will pay off.
“I look forward to be in movies, you’ll see a comedy special from me, and you’ll see a lot of Mario Hodge,” he said.
The 2026 competition winner will be announced on Sunday in Oakland at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts.
