25 Female Comedians We're Obsessed With Right Now

We've spent countless nights bursting into fits of laughter while watching our favorite female comedians perform their stand-up routines. Whether it's a new Netflix special or a live performance in a packed arena, it's always a treat to see these talented ladies push boundaries with smart humor and razor-sharp commentary. For instance, Ali Wong's raw and unfiltered thoughts about motherhood are a breath of fresh air, and Michelle Wolf's take on controversial topics always packs a punch.

These are just two famous ladies who are dominating the comedy landscape right now. And while every person's style is quite different, we guarantee that each one will have you giggling nonstop. Keep scrolling for the 25 best female comedians.

1. Wanda Sykes

• Best known for: The Upshaws, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The New Adventures of Old Christine

The Emmy-winning actress and writer is a legend in her own right, with dozens of acting credits and multiple comedy specials to her name. Known for her razor-sharp wit and blunt commentary, Wanda, 59, doesn’t shy away from controversial topics.   

After performing at several local venues, Sykes joined the writing team on The Chris Rock Show in 1997, which earned her an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Since then, she has appeared in shows and films like Monster-in-Law, Friendsgiving, Black-ish and, most recently, The Upshaws. Sykes also made headlines in 2022 after co-hosting the 94th Academy Awards with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer.

2. Nicole Byer

• Best known for: Nailed It!, Girl Code

Nicole Byer has mastered the art of delivering the raunchiest jokes with such quirk and charm, it makes her delivery all the more hilarious. The 40-year-old comedian rose to fame through her 2013 series, Girl Code, before starring in Loosely Exactly Nicole from 2016 to 2018. She became the host of Netflix's hit baking show, Nailed It!, in 2018 and has since appeared in projects like The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bad Hair and Valley Girl.

In December 2021, Byer dropped her first full-length special, called Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo), on Netflix, and it scored her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. Currently, she hosts multiple podcasts, including Why Won't You Date Me?, Newcomers and Best Friends (co-hosted with Sasheer Zamata). She’s also a co-host of the TBS game show, Wipeout.

3. Ali Wong

• Best known for: Always Be My Maybe, Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, Don Wong

If you want to pee your pants laughing, we highly recommend you watch one of Wong's Netflix specials, where she expertly blends humor and social commentary. The 41-year-old star started out as a cast member on ABC's American Housewife and appeared on shows like Inside Amy Schumer and Black Box. She also served as a writer for the first three seasons of Fresh Off the Boat.

In 2019, she starred in, co-wrote and produced the rom-com, Always Be My Maybe. But more recently, she starred in Netflix's comedy-drama series, Beef.

4. Jenny Slate

• Best known for: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Saturday Night Live, Obvious Child, Parks and Recreation, House of Lies

Jenny Slate, 41, is credited with co-creating the gem that is Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which debuted in 2010, but she has plenty more impressive projects on her resume. She started out as a stand-up comic and performed as half of the comedy duo, Gabe & Jenny. She gained popularity in 2009, after joining the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live.

The comedian has since appeared in several comedies and done voice work for series like Bob's Burgers, Big Mouth, Adventure Time and Muppet Babies. Additionally, she appeared in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won her the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

5. Quinta Brunson

• Best known for: Abbott Elementary, A Black Lady Sketch Show

Quinta Brunson is making major strides in Hollywood, thanks in huge part to her hit ABC series, Abbott Elementary. But believe it or not, the 33-year-old actress was delivering laughs way before she created the series. She took the internet by storm in 2014, after her self-produced Instagram series, Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date, went viral. Then, she joined Buzzfeed to work as a video producer.

Fast-forward to the present day, and Brunson has made history as the first Black woman to be nominated for three Emmys in the comedy category, including Outstanding Comedy Series (as an executive producer), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, which she won.

6. London Hughes

• Best known for: Laughter Shock, London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck, To Tell the Truth

Chances are you've spotted the British comedian on shows like Scrambled!, Fleabag and Newsjack. Easily one of the funniest comedians to grace our screen, London Hughes wrote and starred in BBC's sketch show, Laughter Shock, which premiered in 2010. She has since appeared in British shows like The Last Leg, To Tell the Truth and The Russell Howard Hour.

In 2019, Hughes performed her stand-up routine, To Catch a D*ck, which earned her a historic nomination for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show. In fact, the routine, which tackles sex and relationships, was met with so much praise that it was adapted into a 2020 Netflix special.

7. Leslie Jones

• Best known for: Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters, Coming 2 America

Our favorite SNL queen served as a writer and starred in the NBC sketch comedy series from 2014 to 2019. Her role earned her two Emmy nods for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series—but that was just the beginning.

Leslie Jones, 56, starred in the all-female reboot of Ghostbusters in 2016 and released an unforgettable stand-up special on Netflix called Time Machine. In 2021, she appeared in Coming 2 America alongside Eddie Murphy and Tracy Morgan. And currently, she's a guest host for The Daily Show.

8. Chelsea Peretti

• Best known for: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Big Mouth, Parks and Recreation

We all know her as Gina Linetti from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but did you know that she also has a standup special? In 2014, she released One of the Greats on Netflix, which, FYI, boasts a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Since then, she’s made guest appearances in shows like New Girl, Girls and Search Party.

In 2020, Chelsea Peretti released an EP called Foam and Flotsam, a musical concept album about coffee. And in June 2023, she made her directorial debut and released First Time Female Director at the Tribeca Film Festival.

9. Michelle Wolf

• Best known for: The Daily Show, Joke Show,  The Break with Michelle Wolf 

Wolf is the Jill of all trades. The comedian, producer and writer has worked on Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. But it was her performance at the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner that made headlines, thanks to her criticism of former President Donald Trump and the media.

The funny lady briefly hosted her own Netflix show, The Break with Michelle Wolf, in 2018, then released her stand-up special, Joke Show, in 2019. Most recently, she released her third stand-up special, Michelle Wolf: It’s Great to Be Here, which includes a series of three 30-minute episodes on Netflix.

10. Anjelah Johnson

• Best known for: MADtv, The Opening Act, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone

Fans of MADtv will remember Anjelah Johnson as the infamous Bon Qui Qui. (Sacurrity!!) But the actress and comedian has come a long way since working on the sketch comedy series. She has since released a memoir called Who Do You Think I Am?, and she currently has five comedy specials, including Say I Won't, Not Fancy and Technically Not Stalking. Additionally, she has a podcast with her husband, Manwell Reyes, called Manjela.

It's worth noting that Johnson avoids using profanity in her routines, so if you're looking for a clean special that'll have the whole family laughing, Angela is definitely the way to go.

11. Dulcé Sloan

• Best known for: The Daily Show, @midnight with Chris Hardwick

All we can say is, thank goodness for Dulcé Sloan's friends. Had it not been for their encouragement, we probably would've never heard her hilarious commentary as a correspondent on The Daily Show.

After starting her career in stand-up in 2009, Sloan won the 12th annual StandUp NBC comedy comedy showcase before making her late-night comedy debut on Conan in February 2016. She has since appeared in The Steve Harvey Show, Lights Out with David Spade and RuPaul's Drag Race. Sloan also voiced the character of Honeybee in Fox's The Great North.

12. Katherine Ryan

• Best known for: 8 Out of 10 Cats, A League of Their Own, The Duchess

The Canadian native's sharp and edgy routines are a stark contrast to her wholesome, innocent image, making her comedy all the more memorable. Katherine Ryan kicked off her comedy and acting career in 2008, when she won the Funny Women Award. Shortly after, she appeared in a number of U.K. shows like Campus and Episodes.

Ryan gained popularity on Netflix when she released her stand-up specials In Trouble and The Glitter Room. She also stars in the Netflix series, The Duchess.

13. Sarah Silverman 

• Best known for: The Sarah Silverman Program, Saturday Night Live, Who's the Caboose?, School of Rock

After serving as a writer for Saturday Night Live during its 19th season, Sarah Silverman landed her own Comedy Central series called The Sarah Silverman Program, which aired from 2007 to 2010. She also appeared in movies like School of Rock, Take This Waltz and I Smile Back, which earned her a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Now, the star is making waves with her hard-hitting comedy by tackling controversial topics like racism, sexism and homophobia.

14. Margaret Cho

• Best known for: Fire Island, 30 Rock, UnCabaret

Margaret Cho's stint on All-American Girl during the '90s helped her launch a massively successful career as an actress and stand-up comic. Among her acting credits are 30 Rock, which earned her an Emmy nom, Face/Off, It's My Party and Fire Island. But what really put her on the map was her bold and unapologetic criticisms of society and the political world in her stand-up routines.

Per IMDb, Cho has released at least six stand-up specials, including UnCabaret, Margaret Cho: PsyCHO and Margaret Cho: Assassin.

15. Kate McKinnon

• Best known for: Barbie, Bombshell, Saturday Night Live

She's widely known for her spot-on celebrity impressions on Saturday Night Live, and more recently, she shined as Weird Barbie in Greta Gerwig's live-action fantasy film, Barbie. The actress, comedian and writer worked on SNL from 2012 to 2022, and she earned ten Emmy nominations, winning twice for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

In addition to Barbie, Kate McKinnon's movie credits include Balls Out, Ghostbusters, Office Christmas Party and The Spy Who Dumped Me. She has also done voice work for animated shows like Nature Cat and Netflix's The Magic School Bus Rides Again.

16. Tiffany Haddish 

• Best known for: Girls Trip, The Last O.G., The Afterparty

Tiffany Haddish took the comedy world by storm after landing her breakthrough role in the 2017 comedy film, Girls Trip—and she shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. As of now, she's making plenty of headlines due to her popular Apple TV+ comedy, The Afterparty, where she plays Detective Danner. Previously, she also starred in projects like Night School, Nobody's Fool, The Carmichael Show and the TBS series The Last O.G.

Haddish dropped her first stand-up special, She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood, in 2017. And in 2019, she released Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready, where she gave other female comedians an opportunity to showcase their talent.

17. Amy Schumer

• Best known for: Inside Amy Schumer, Trainwreck, I Feel Pretty

Amy Schumer had us rolling with laughter in her 2015 comedy, Trainwreck, and she hasn't stopped since. From 2013 to 2016, she starred in her edgy Comedy Central series, Inside Amy Schumer, which gave us bangers like "Milk Milk Lemonade." The series earned her five Emmy Award nominations, and she won one for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2015.

Schumer also scored two Grammy Award nominations—one for Best Comedy Album for Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo and one for Best Spoken Word Album for her 2016 memoir, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. Since then, she has co-hosted the Oscars and released multiple specials, including Amy Schumer: The Leather Special and Amy Schumer: Growing.

18. Ilana Glazer

• Best known for: Broad City, Rough Night

If you're not familiar with Ilana Glazer's work, it's time to change that. The 36-year-old comedian and director co-created the popular Comedy Central series, Broad City, which was nominated for two Critics' Choice Television Awards. She also starred in a few films, including How to Follow Strangers, Rough Night and False Positive.

In 2020, Glazer released her stand-up special, The Planet Is Burning, where she shares her unfiltered thoughts on Nazis, homophobia and the awful quality of women's razors. Also, in 2022, she won the Tony Award for Best Musical for her work as a producer on the Broadway show, A Strange Loop.

19. Michelle Buteau

• Best known for: Always Be My Maybe, The First Wives Club, Russian Doll

Trust us, Michelle Buteau is a comedian you don't want to sleep on. She knows how to keep it real when it comes to cultural differences, motherhood and relationships—as you'll see in her latest stand-up special, Survival of the Thickest, which is based on her memoir of the same name.

You've likely spotted her in titles like Always Be My Maybe, Marry Me, Happiest Season and Tales of the City. She has also hosted Netflix's reality show, The Circle, since 2020. In 2021, Buteau's Welcome to Buteaupia won a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Special. The actress currently co-hosts a podcast called Adulting with fellow comedian Jordan Carlos.

20. Jessica Williams

• Best known for: The Daily Show, Fantastic Beasts, Shrinking, Girls

Fun fact: When Jessica Williams made her Daily Show debut in 2012, she became the show's youngest correspondent. Since then, she landed a recurring role as Hannah's co-worker in HBO's, Girls, and appeared in other shows like The Twilight Zone, Love Life and Shrinking, which earned her an Emmy nod. The Incredible Jessica James, Booksmart and both of the Fantastic Beasts films are also among Williams's most popular works.

From 2016 to 2018, she co-hosted the podcast 2 Dope Queens with Phoebe Robinson, where they spoke with guests like Jon Hamm, Michelle Buteau and Nick Kroll. Currently, she's working on an upcoming action film called Road House.

21. Fortune Feimster

• Best known for: The Mindy Project,  The L Word: Generation Q, Kenan

Fortune Feimster has come a long way since she made her TV debut on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2010. The world got to know her as Colette on The Mindy Project, and since then, she's released two Netflix specials and landed quite a few acting roles. Her shows and movies include Friendsgiving, Yes Day, Glee, Dear White People and iCarly.

The North Carolina native now hosts a radio show called What a Joke with Papa and Fortune with comedian Tom Papa, where they interview fellow comics and tackle trending topics. She also has a podcast called Sincerely Fortune, where she opens up about her personal life and discusses a range of topics she's passionate about.

22. Tig Notaro 

• Best known for: Happy to be Here, Boyish Girl Interrupted

Tig Notaro's raw honesty about her personal life paired with her deadpan delivery make her one of the funniest women in the industry by far. Not surprisingly, two of her comedy albums—Live and Boyish Girl Interrupted— were nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Album, and her special, Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted, was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.

She currently has six comedy albums and four stand-up specials under her belt, and she's now hosting three podcasts: Handsome, Don't Ask Tig and Tig and Cheryl: True Story.

23. Heather McMahan

• Best known for: Love Hard, Good Grief, I Can't Right Now

Heather McMahan garnered a huge following on social media after sharing several funny skits on Instagram, thanks to her down-to-earth approach and quick wit. She appeared in titles like Love Hard, The Trap and Good Grief, and she currently hosts a podcast called Absolutely Not.

More recently, though, she's been making headlines with her latest stand-up special, Son I Never Had, which is a tribute to her father.

24. Iliza Shlesinger 

• Best known for: Truth & Iliza, Last Comic Standing, Excused, Separation Anxiety

Iliza Shlesinger pulls no punches when it comes to her feminist comedy, which is why her specials are a must-watch. Her most memorable jokes involve the things women secretly think about, whether it's having a girl's night out with people we don't like or obsessing over Pinterest.

The comedian has hosted the Freeform late-night show, Truth & Iliza, and she made history as the only woman to win NBC’s Last Comic Standing. She has also done a total of six Netflix specials, including Elder Millennial, Unveiled and Hot Forever.