Urzila Carlson

About Urzila

Urzila Carlson is a multi-award-winning South African–New Zealand comedian whose career spans sold-out global tours, a Netflix stand-up special, and a best-selling memoir, Rolling with the Punchlines. In 2019 she became the highest-selling comedian in the 33-year history of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and made her Netflix debut in Comedians of the World. Her accolades include four Melbourne International Comedy Festival People's Choice Awards (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), six New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards for Best Female Comedian, and the Sydney Comedy Festival Director's Choice Award in 2017.

Urzila's Netflix stand-up special Overqualified Loser was released globally in 2020, the same year she joined the panel of The Masked Singer Australia. In 2025, she starred alongside Amy Schumer and Will Forte in the Netflix rom-com Kinda Pregnant, which reached 58.9 million views in its first six months. Her podcast That's Enough Already!, appearances on QI (UK), Taskmaster NZ, and Have You Been Paying Attention?, and a role in the animated feature Ozi round out a screen career as varied as her live work. Her trademark deadpan delivery and cheeky wit have built an international following across Australasia, North America, and the UK.

Urzila suits any event where an audience wants to feel like the room is genuinely on their side. Her material is warm without being soft, sharp without being alienating — the rare combination that plays to a corporate crowd just as well as a comedy festival. For conferences, gala dinners, or large-scale live events, she brings the kind of effortless command that comes from years of selling out stages from Sydney to London.