Conference Dinner Speaker - Sammy J

 Comedian, Author, Composer & Entertainer

Sammy J is an Australian comedian, writer, composer, and broadcaster. He’s played in Edinburgh, Montreal and London, had a sitcom on Netflix, is one half of the man/puppet comedy duo “Sammy J & Randy” and currently hosts the breakfast show on ABC Radio Melbourne. After dropping out of his law degree, Sammy J won the Best Newcomer award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. His albums have received four ARIA nominations for Best Comedy Release, and he gained a national following with his satirical series “Playground Politics”. His solo show, “Hero Complex”, won Best Comedy at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and a Helpmann Award nomination. His weekly satirical sketches on the ABC ran for five years with millions of views online and an AACTA nomination for Best Comedy Program. Collaborating with Heath McIvor, “Sammy J & Randy” received the Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival. Their acclaimed live shows have taken them from the Sydney Opera House to London’s West End, and multiple Montreal comedy galas. Their musical sitcom, “Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane”, premiered on ABC TV in 2015 before launching in the USA & Netflix UK, and was nominated for three AACTA awards. As a composer, Sammy J has written songs for stage and screen and scored the original soundtrack for “Ricketts Lane” and “Sammy J’s Playground Politics”. Away from the comedy world, Sammy J’s MC skills have seen him host award shows, interview politicians, and inject much-needed humour into corporate events. He regularly runs workshops in schools and his debut middle-grade novel, “The Long Class Goodnight”, was published by Hardie Grant in 2023.Sammy J is a proud Ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters and Oxfam, and has travelled to South Africa and PNG to witness their work first-hand. Still, Sammy’s biggest project remains unfinished. In 2008, he started “The 50 Year Show”, a comedy spectacular that started as a joke, now it’s become his life’s work. Starting in 2008, with one show every five years, finishing 2058. The fifth show will arrive in October 2028.