Top 10 Alt Comedians You Needed to Know in 2024, Revisited

In January 2024 we published a list of ten alternative comedians to watch that year. Lists like that are bets, so it's worth checking them. Two and a half years later, one of our picks has a Tony Award, one is hosting The Daily Show, several have released new specials, and one should never have been on the list at all. Here is every 2024 pick, what we got right and wrong, and what each comedian has done since. For our current picks, go to the top 10 alt comedians of 2026.

A correction first

The original version of this page included Jak Knight at number five and described "2024 work" by him, including a special that does not exist. Jak Knight died in July 2022, at 28. He should not have been on a 2024 list, and the description of his work was wrong. We apologise to readers and to those who knew him.

Knight was a genuinely gifted comic. He co-created, wrote and starred in the Peacock series Bust Down (2022), voiced DeVon on Netflix's Big Mouth, and was a regular on Sam Jay's HBO show PAUSE with Sam Jay. If you haven't seen Bust Down, it's the best place to understand what comedy lost.

The original page also listed several specials and tours under other comedians' names that we cannot verify existed. We've removed those and kept only work we can confirm.

The picks, two years on

1. Zarna Garg Picked: immigrant-family comedy

   Then: Garg's special One in a Billion (Prime Video, 2023) had just made her one of the breakout stand-ups of the moment, with sharp, unapologetic material about her Indian family and American life.

   Since: A big run. She published a memoir, This American Woman, in April 2025, released a second special, Practical People Win, on Hulu in July 2025, and appeared in the film A Nice Indian Boy. Verdict: a good pick, though in truth she's more mainstream crowd-pleaser than alt.

2. Stavros Halkias Picked: confessional, working-class stand-up

   Then: Halkias had built a large following through podcasts and a self-released YouTube special, Live at the Lodge Room (2022), before his Netflix special Fat Rascal arrived in December 2023.

   Since: He appears in the Netflix sitcom Tires, co-wrote the 2024 comedy Let's Start a Cult, and appeared in Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia (2025). Verdict: right call, and his podcast-to-Netflix path is now a common route for comics who build an audience outside clubs.

3. Catherine Cohen Picked: cabaret comedy

   Then: Her Netflix special The Twist...? She's Gorgeous (2022) had made her the face of a new cabaret-comedy wave.

   Since: An album of songs, Overdressed (2024), a recurring role in Only Murders in the Building (2024), a part in Sentimental Value (2025), and her own off-Broadway musical, Broad Strokes, which opened in July 2026. Verdict: right call, and she's an honourable mention on our 2026 list.

4. Josh Johnson Picked: analytical storytelling

   Then: A Daily Show writer with specials including Up Here Killing Myself (Peacock, 2023).

   Since: He became a Daily Show correspondent in 2024 and joined its rotating host lineup in July 2025, toured, and has an HBO special in 2026. He also built one of the best online stand-up channels in comedy. Verdict: our best pick. He's on the 2026 list.

5. Jak Knight Removed: see correction above

   Jak Knight died in 2022. We have left his name here, with the correction, rather than quietly delete it.

6. Patti Harrison Picked: absurdist character comedy

   Then: Known for chaotic late-night appearances, Shrill, and her lead role in the indie film Together Together (2021).

   Since: Film and TV roles including The Luckiest Man in America (2024), a recurring role in the second season of Poker Face (2025) and Never Change! (2026). Verdict: right call. Our full profile has more.

7. Sam Jay Picked: conversational, provocative stand-up

   Then: A former SNL writer with the Netflix special 3 in the Morning (2020), the HBO series PAUSE with Sam Jay (2021–2022) and the special Salute Me or Shoot Me (2023).

   Since: She was a roaster on Netflix's The Roast of Tom Brady in 2024. We haven't found a major new project since then, so it's a quieter stretch. Verdict: a strong comic, but our "need to know in 2024" framing overreached.

8. Cole Escola Picked: theatrical character comedy

   Then: Escola's play Oh, Mary! was opening off-Broadway, built on years of camp character videos and downtown cabaret.

   Since: Everything, and quickly. Oh, Mary! moved to Broadway in July 2024, Escola won the 2025 Tony for best leading actor in a play, and the show won the 2026 Olivier for best entertainment or comedy play in London. Verdict: our best call, and number four on our 2026 list.

9. Desiree Burch Picked: theatrical storytelling

   Then: An American comedian and writer based in the UK, whose Edinburgh show Tar Baby won a Fringe First in 2015, and the narrator of Netflix's Too Hot to Handle.

   Since: She has kept narrating Too Hot to Handle and returned to the Edinburgh Fringe. We couldn't verify the specific shows and specials the old page attributed to her, so we've removed them. Verdict: still a fine recommendation for fans of solo theatre.

10. Martin Urbano Picked: anti-comedy

    Then: His character hour Apology Comeback Tour, about a fictional cancelled edgelord, had just been nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Awards.

    Since: He took the show to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2024, then filmed it as Martin Urbano: Apology Comeback Special and released it on YouTube, and kept touring. Verdict: a niche pick that held up. See our profile.

The scorecard

What we learned

The picks that aged best were comedians with a specific, unusual form: Escola's camp theatre, Johnson's analytical storytelling online, Cohen's cabaret. That is a useful lesson for any "ones to watch" list, ours included: bet on people who have invented a way of working, not just people with momentum.

The misses were mostly about framing rather than talent. Sam Jay and Desiree Burch are excellent comedians, but "you need to know in 2024" implied a breakout year we had no evidence for. A better list would have said why each person mattered now, and what to watch, instead of borrowing hype. That's the format we've adopted for the 2026 version: each pick names the specific work that put them there.

The other lesson is about accuracy. A list like this is only useful if every credit in it is real. Our 2026 list and our guide to emerging comedians only name work we could verify.

Frequently asked questions

Who was on the top 10 alt comedians list for 2024?

Zarna Garg, Stavros Halkias, Catherine Cohen, Josh Johnson, Jak Knight, Patti Harrison, Sam Jay, Cole Escola, Desiree Burch and Martin Urbano. Jak Knight had died in 2022, an error we explain on the page.

Which 2024 picks became the biggest stars?

Cole Escola, whose play Oh, Mary! went to Broadway and won them the 2025 Tony for best leading actor in a play, and Josh Johnson, who joined The Daily Show's rotating host lineup in 2025.

Is there a 2026 version of this list?

Yes. Our top 10 alt comedians to know in 2026 covers the comedians doing the most interesting work now, led by Tim Robinson and Nathan Fielder.