The Bill Hicks Spirit AwardIn 2005, The New York City Underground Comedy Festival announced the creation of The Bill Hicks Spirit Award For Thought Provoking Comedy. The award was created with the blessing of the Hicks family and was presented to Dean Obeidallah, an extraordinary emerging comedic talent who utilizes laughter to speak the truth & provoke thought.
The comedians nominated for the award were chosen by festival producers George Sarris and Jim Mendrinos and "In The Spirit of Bill: A Tribute To Bill Hicks" producer Luchia. After viewing footage of each comedian performing, Obeidallah was ultimately chosen by Bill's mother, Mary Reese Hicks.
The award was presented to Obeidallah at the "In The Spirit of Bill: A Tribute To Bill Hicks" Sunday October 9th at The Laugh Factory in Times Square. The show featured some of the best emerging talent in the city along with 20 minutes of rarely seen footage of Bill on stage!
For more information about Bill Hicks and the Bill Hicks' Foundation, please visit www.billhicks.com
This article can be found on the NY Underground Comedy Festival's website
