Comedy Gives Back, a nonprofit established to support comedians through financial assistance, mental health resources, and addiction recovery support, announced plans for its first gala event. The organization, founded by Jodi Lieberman, Amber J. Lawson, and Zoe Friedman, will host the Richard Lewis Humor & Humanity Gala at Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles on Nov. 15, with the event billed as “a night of comedy and neurosis.”
The gala will debut a new annual award bearing the same name as the event, created to commemorate the legacy of Richard Lewis, the late comedian who died at age 76 in February 2024. Lewis had been an early advocate for the nonprofit’s mission and served on its board. Marc Maron has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural award. The event will be hosted by Jeff Garlin and will feature Nick Kroll as a presenter.
Maron, a stand-up comedian and actor, launched his podcast WTF With Marc Maron in 2009 and stepped back from the show after 16 years to pursue other projects, including acting work. He recently appeared in the Bruce Springsteen biography film Deliver Me From Nowhere and stars in Stick.
In a joint statement, the nonprofit’s founders stated that the gala would celebrate Lewis’s contributions to the comedy community while advancing the organization’s mission of supporting comedians. Maron released a statement expressing that receiving an award in Lewis’s name was meaningful to him, particularly given the award’s connection to supporting comedians facing financial and personal challenges.
The gala is being sponsored by HBO and the Johnny Carson Foundation.
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