Rhys Nicholson

Rhys Nicholson is a Multi-award winning Australian stand-up, writer, actor and collager. 

With an enormous passion for live performing, their work continues to receive awards and accolades around the world. As well as numerous televised stand up performances in Australia, the UK and Canada, in 2019 Rhys was hand-picked to open for comedy legend Conan O’Brien on his Australian tour. Later that year, Nicholson made their USA television debut as the stand up guest on CONAN (TBS). 2019 proved to be quite a big year for Rhys (which is lucky because 2020 and 2021 were a bit of a nightmare) when in November they recorded their third stand up special. This time for Netflix worldwide, making Rhys one of only three Australians with a solo show on the streaming giant and earning them a nomination for Best Stand Up Comedy Special at the AACTA Awards in 2021.  Since then Rhys has received a further two AACTA Award nominations in 2024 Awards, Best Stand Up Comedy Special for Big Queer Comedy Concert (Amazon Prime) and Best Comedy Performer for Ru Paul’s Drage Race Down Under (STAN).

Alongside a booming stand-up career, Rhys has become a familiar face in a myriad of different international T.V. networks. In 2021 Rhys was cast as a series regular in the Netflix Sci-Fi comedy The Imperfects,  viewers may have caught them hosting on the red carpet coverage for STAN at the 2023 ARIA Awards. They also continue to participate on Drag Race Down Under (STAN) as a resident panel host where Season 4 filming has already taken place. Rhys also performed in and filmed    Network 10’s Taskmaster Australia has also announced Rhys as one of the contestants for season two premiering later in 2024. 

Not to let something like a devastating global health crisis from keeping them busy, the last few years have seen Rhys continue to rise. From co-opening Melbourne’s newest live comedy venue, Comedy Republic (Rhys cannot recommend you do that during a pandemic), to numerous acting roles and setting their talents to write a book of essays and become a published Author. Penguin Random House Australia released this very book in 2023 entitled Dish: Spiels, Scoops, Emotional Outbursts and the Occasional Recipe. Nicholson is focused on continuing to work and diversify in the comedy industry they love so much. 

Rhys raised the bar even higher in 2022 hosting Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s All Stars Gala (ABCtv) & toured across Australia with brand new live stand- up show Rhys! Rhys! Rhys!. Rhys garnered multiple sold out seasons and won prestigious awards: Most Outstanding Show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival & Best of the Fest at Sydney Comedy Festival. Rhys then took the critically acclaimed show abroad where they performed at the renowned and invite only Just For Laughs Montreal, followed by Edinburgh Festival Fringe, London’s Leicester Square Theatre, Soho Playhouse New York, Just For Laughs Toronto and a month long US Tour. The success of the show continued into 2023 seeing Rhys perform a nationwide encore tour of the award-winning and critically acclaimed show Rhys! Rhys! Rhys!

 In 2024, Rhys continues to take the Australian comedy festival scene by storm. Introducing their latest and greatest show Big Huge Party Congratulations!, Rhys has seen great success with a slew of sold out shows at  Melbourne International Comedy Festival along with other big box office engagements in Sydney, Perth and New Zealand, where they were awarded the Best International Show at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. The critically acclaimed and highly reviewed show is booked for another 20 performances in the UK on top of a month long run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

Awards 

2024: New Zealand Comedy Festival – Best International Show – Winner

2024: AACTA Awards for Best Comedy Performer – Nominated

2024: AACTA Awards for Best Stand-Up Special – Nominated

2022: Melbourne Comedy Festivals Most Outstanding Show – Winner 

2022: Sydney Comedy Festivals Best of the Fest – Winner 

2021: AACTA Awards for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special – Nominated 

2019: Helpmann Award for Best Comedy —Nominated 

2018: New Zealand Comedy Festival Best International Act — Winner 

2018: New Zealand Comedy Guild Award — Winner 

2018: Helpmann Award for Best Comedy —Nominated 

2017: ARIA Award for Best Comedy Album — Nominated 

2016: Melbourne International Comedy Festival Best Show Award — Nominated 

Here are some nice things people have said about them: 

“The Comedy Festival Show with the highest number of laughs per minute…Nicolson is an absolute master of the form”  ★★★★★ TimeOut 

 “Rhys Nicholson is at the top of his game. His economy of words is at a Jerry Seinfeld-level, with more edge and less zeroes in his bank account.”  ★★★★½ – Herald Sun  

  “The expertly delivered rat-a-tat joke rate never flags…how remarkable it is to see someone so entirely in command of their work and style ”  ★★★★½ – The Age  

 “Sharp focus on punchlines that few could match”  ★★★★ Chortle 

 “This is a genuinely great stand-up comedian at work – in total command of his material and audience – and it’s awe-inspiring to watch”-  ★★★★★ – TimeOut 

 “Rhys Nicholson at the top of his game. His economy of words is at a Jerry Seinfeld-level, with more edge and less zeroes in his bank account.”  ★★★★½ – The Herald Sun (Aus) 

 “There’s not a single moment that doesn’t work, nor any story that falls flat. Nicholson is truly at the top of his game”  ★★★★★ – The NZ Herald 

 “Sheer comedy brilliance”  ★★★★ The List (UK) 

Shows

Social Liability (2011)

Almost a Person (2012)

Dawn of a New Error (2013)

Eurgh (2014)

Forward (2015)

Bona Fide (2016)

I’m Fine (2017)

Seminal (2018)

Nice People Nice Things Nice Situations (2019)

RHYS! RHYS! RHYS! (2022)

Film & TV