Rhys Nicholson

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. A few months later this led to Nicholson’s 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.  

Alongside a booming stand-up career, Nicholson is a favourite across our small screens. From panel shows to documentary and acting roles, he clearly doesn’t like to sit still very much. Over the years Rhys has had a whole bunch of guest and supporting roles in a plethora of sitcoms across networks and countries. In 2021 Rhys was cast as a series regular in the Netflix Sci-Fi comedy The Imperfects. Rhys was very excited about the fact they had a stunt double.  You can also catch them on the judging panel of all three seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. 

Not to let something like a devastating global health crisis from keeping them busy, the last couple years have seen Rhys continue to rise. From co-opening Melbourne’s newest live comedy venue, The Comedy Republic (Rhys cannot recommend you do that during a pandemic), to numerous acting roles and now setting their talents writing a book of essays, Nicholson is focused on continuing to work and diversify in the comedy industry they love so much. 

2022 continued to raise the bar for Nicholson’s career where they hosted Melbourne International Comedy Festival 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 Fringe, London Leicester Square, Soho Playhouse New York, Just For Laughs Toronto and a month long US Tour.

2023 has proven to be a monumental year for Rhys, seeing them perform a nationwide encore tour of the award-winning and critically acclaimed show Rhys! Rhys! Rhys!. Performing a sold out show at Melbourne Town Hall for one last showing of this amazing hour. Most recently, Rhys has been announced as one of the recurring contestants for season two of Network 10’s Taskmaster Australia, premiering in 2024. Pre-orders for Rhys’ first book Dish: Spiels, Scoops, Emotional Outbursts and the Occasional Recipe, published through Penguin Random House Australia are now available, with the book slated for release in November 2023.

Awards 

2016: Melbourne International Comedy Festival Best Show Award — Nominated 

2017: ARIA Award for Best Comedy Album — Nominated 

2018: New Zealand Comedy Festival Best International Act — Winner 

2018: New Zealand Comedy Guild Award — Winner 

2018: Helpmann Award for Best Comedy —Nominated 

2019: Helpmann Award for Best Comedy —Nominated 

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

2022: Melbourne Comedy Festivals Most Outstanding Show – Winner 

2022: Sydney Comedy Festivals Best of the Fest – Winner 

2024: AACTA Awards for Best Comedy Performer – Nominated

2024: AACTA Awards for Best Stand-Up Special – 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