“I stopped doing it for like seven years and then came back in 2019. So I think for me it is quite meaningful to be nominated because I genuinely have a moment where I remember thinking, ‘I think this is a dream you gotta let go, Abby. I think this is not one that’s gonna happen for you.’ You wish you could tell yourself, like, you can do this.”
Bracewell said a lot of women get pushed out of the comedy industry due to similar incidents, and female comedians tend to have to deal with more abuse from strangers online.
“But there’s also a beauty in it that, like I feel like the other women are really supportive, it’s not as competitive amongst women. I feel like all of the women I know in comedy are like, ‘Oh my God, I got this opportunity, can I get you on this thing?’”
Bracewell said online hate can be exhausting to deal with - but there’s also an element of comedy in how extreme the reactions can be.
“The ones where they go, ‘you’re an ugly whore and you should die’ - look, I understand those, but I also don’t feel anything from them because it’s like, you can picture that person, they’re so upset and so angry that it makes me feel good.”
Both comedians have seen plenty of success though, with Howells amongst the five nominees for the Billy T Award, and Bracewell having won the prize back in 2018.
Launched in 1997, the Billy T Award celebrates the best emerging performer at each year’s Comedy Festival. Many of the winners have gone on to become household names – including Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Rose Matafeo, Dai Henwood, and reigning winner Brynley Stent.
Bracewell said there is a stress that comes with the Billy T Award, as you are nominated before you have even written the show.
“It’s like if the Oscars were like, ‘I’ve got an idea for a movie’, and they’re like, ‘Okay, you are up for Best Picture’.
“And you have to make a Best Picture-worthy show,” Howells added.
Listen to the full podcast for more from Abby and Melanie on the local comedy industry, finding success on Tumblr, bad first gigs and their mutual love of being comedy nerds.
Billy T’ Billy is a NZ Herald podcast celebrating local comedy ahead of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. Each episode has a different 2023 nominee talking with a former Billy T or Fred Award winner. New episodes are out every Tuesday.
This year’s Billy T nominees, include Howells, Gabby Anderson, Jack Ansett, Janaye Henry and Maria Williams. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival runs from May 6th to May 28th.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
