Trevor Noah is a Comedian and “Daily Show” host on Comedy Central and is the most famous comedian from South Africa.
Trevor began his career in media in 2002, at 18years when he featured on an episode of a South African soap opera “Isidingo.” He later started to hone his skills as a comedian in his 20s, taking to the comedy stage due to a dare from friends. His skill and talent blossomed, and Noah became one of the leading figures of stand-up comedy in his country. In 2012, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Noah staged a one-man show “The Rascist” and in the same year made his U.S. TV debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, becoming the first South African comedian to appear on the program. The following year Noah had his own comedy special on Show-time, “Trevor Noah: African American.” And in late 2014, Noah landed yet another major gig, debuting as a correspondent for Comedy Central’s ”The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart.
What more do we know about Trevor Noah?
- Trevor received a 2020 Grammy Nomination for Best Comedy Album for “Trevor Noah: Son Of Patricia” and 2020 NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special).
- Trevor recently received a 2020 Webby Award for Best in Comedy “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” as well as a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Talk Series.
- In 2019, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” received two Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Variety Talk Series and Outstanding Interactive Program. Additionally, Trevor received the 2019 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, as well as nominations for Outstanding Talk Series, Outstanding Variety Show, Outstanding host in a Talk or News/Information.
- In 2018, “The Daily Show” won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Talk Episode and received nominations for a Writers Guild Award (Comedy/Variety Series) as well as two NAACP Image Awards, for Outstanding Talk Series and Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information Show. Trevor has written, produced, and starred in 8 comedy specials, including “Afraid of the Dark” on Netflix. Noah’s latest stand-up special “Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia” launched in November 2018 on Netflix. The special touches upon racism, immigration, camping and more.
- In 2017, The Trevor Noah Foundation was founded and is a non-profit organisation that equips orphans and vulnerable youth with the education, life skills, and social capital necessary to pursue further opportunity upon graduating high school. Through a partnership with Microsoft, the foundation is able to provide under-resourced schools with the opportunity to use technology as a tool to enhance the learning experience, as well as increase digital literacy beyond the classroom.
- Trevor also won Best Host at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards, as well as a 2017 Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series for his hosting role on “The Daily Show – Between The Scenes.”
- In November 2016, Trevor released his first book ”Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood,”-a collection of personal stories about growing up in South Africa during the last gasps of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that came with its demise. The book received the Thurber Prize for American Humor and was an instant New York Times best-seller. Additionally, his performance on the Born a Crime audiobook was Audible’s highest rated audio book of 2016, and has remained one of the top selling titles on Audible since its release. It was also nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, one for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author and another for Outstanding Literary Work in the Biography/Auto-Biography category.
- In 2016, Noah debuted his one-hour stand-up special, Trevor Noah: Lost in Translation, on Comedy Central. Noah was the subject of David Paul Meyer’s award-winning documentary film “You Laugh But It’s True” which tells the story of his remarkable career in post-apartheid South Africa.
- He was nominated for “Personality of the Year” at the 2014 and 2015 MTV Africa.
- His Show-time comedy special, “Trevor Noah: African American” Premièred in 2013.
Trevor had these to say at different occasions;
“Comedy is a great tool. We are trying to find ways to use humor to enlighten people without preaching to them.”
“We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most.”
“Progression, in my opinion, is often identifying shortcomings – whether it’s views or the things you’re doing in your life, your relationships – and trying to find the places where you improve on those.”
Trevor is the future.
