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If there’s a comedian who captures the zeitgeist in the weirdest of ways, it’s Fred Armisen. From his Valley-voweled character in Saturday Night Live‘s “The Californians” sketches to an array of crunchy Portlandians, to his current off-the-wall portrayal of Wednesday‘s Uncle Fester, Armisen seems to deliver his punchlines just a little off center.
Which makes him the ideal honoree for this year’s annual Ernie Kovacs Award. Founded in 1997 at the Dallas Video Festival, the comedy-centric award has been given to 18 winners to date, who exemplify the irreverent humor of the experimental television icon Ernie Kovacs. Flying the freak flag established by its namesake seems to be a prerequisite. Past honorees have included Monty Python’s John Cleese, Paul “PeeWee Herman” Reubens, Amy Sedaris and Devo founder Jerry Casale.
“Kovacs stretched the boundaries of creativity and edginess in comedy, which is something we all need now. Fred Armisen follows in that tradition, refining edginess and what comedy on TV can be,” Dallas Video Festival artistic director Bart Weiss says.
Adds Josh Mills, who keeps the Kovacs legacy alive and runs his estate, “Fred Armisen’s unique, off-the-wall comedy is rooted in Ernie Kovacs’ whacked-out characters, snippets of music, bizarre sounds, terminally clueless alter egos, and eccentric weirdos. His humor is rooted in cockeyed yet lovable eccentrics … which is why he’s so deserving of the 2025 Ernie Kovacs award.”
An accidental icon, the Saturday Night Live alum was always amusing, but his initial career choice made the journey to household name a little longer. A drummer for the indie band Trenchmouth, Armisen was well over 30 when he began creating quirky, behind-the-scenes clips of life on the road. A 1998 trip to Austin to tape a “Guide to Music and SXSW” for the music site Stereogum got the industry’s attention.
Joining SNL in 2002, he quickly became one of the cast’s most valuable players, which led to the series Documentary Now! and Portlandia, numerous guest roles, 15 Primetime Emmy nominations, two Peabody Awards and a stint as Seth Meyers’ bandleader.
In a weekend befitting such a varied and eclectic career, Friday, Nov. 21, will feature a screening of the Buster Keaton classic The Cameraman, accompanied by a live score by Ben Model, as a nod to Armisen’s new album, 100 Sound Effects. The main award ceremony will occur the following night at the Texas Theatre. Tickets are $23.50 for Friday and $28.50 for Saturday, or $100 for both nights, which include a VIP reception and a copy of the record.
