SiriusXM wants Canada to pick the country's funniest comics

- Last chance for Canadians to choose the finalists out of 24 comics across the country

- Voters get a chance to win a trip to the Finale at Just For Laughs' JFL42 in Toronto

TORONTO, July 29, 2014 /CNW/ - SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), the country's leading audio entertainment company, today announced that voting for the fifth annual SiriusXM's Top Comic competition is in its final week, ending at 5pm EST on August 1^st.

This spring, SiriusXM went coast-to-coast to audition the country's best comedic talent. Twelve stand-up comics in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and St. John's were chosen to perform; three semi-finalists in each market were selected to be included in online voting at www.siriusxm.ca/topcomic.

Now, with less than a week left to vote, fans have one more chance to get their favourite comic to the Finale. Canadians can vote for one comedian in each city every day until August 1^st at www.siriusxm.ca/topcomic.

The funniest comics from each city, determined by the number of votes received, will be invited to perform at the SiriusXM Top Comic Finale on September 25^th, part of Just For Laughs' JFL42 Festival in Toronto. One comedian will be crowned the winner, taking home the grand prize of $15,000.

"The comics we've seen on this tour are unbelievable and this year's competition has been the toughest to judge based on the level of talent involved," said Ben Miner, Canadian comic and host of SiriusXM's Canada Laughs channel. "Canada is so rich with killer comedians and I love that we are doing something that celebrates, supports and keeps talent in the country."

Voters will also be entered to win a trip for two to join the comedians, celebrity judges and special guests at the Top Comic Finale at JFL42 in Toronto.

How it Works

• Semi-Finals: Over three weeks, Canadians are invited to vote online for their favourite comic in each city. Eight finalists will be selected based on the number of votes received. Each of the eight finalists will perform live at the Finale on September 25^th, with travel and accommodation provided by SiriusXM.
• Winner: A panel of judges made up of comedy insiders and personalities will select one winner from the eight finalists to crown as SiriusXM's Top Comic who will take home $15,000 to support their comedic career development.

Semi-Finalists

• Vancouver: Sunee Dhaliwhal, Darcy Michael and Alex Sparling
• Edmonton: Brittany Lyseng, Kevin McGrath and Dan Taylor
• Winnipeg:Dan Glasswick, Chantel Marostica and Ben Walker
• Hamilton:Bryan Hatt, Tom O'Donnell and Danny Polishchuk
• Toronto:Pat Thornton, Jon Steinberg and K. Trevor Wilson
• Ottawa:Jimmy Cassidy, Adrian Cronk and Trixx
• Montreal:Faisal Butt, Joey Elias and Heidi Foss
• St. John's:Steve Coombs, Nicole Downton and Matt Wright

Top Comic is part of SiriusXM Canada's ongoing initiatives to provide exposure to and support Canadian talent. Previous winners of SiriusXM's Top Comic contest include Pete Zedlacher, Eric Andrews, Matt O'Brien and Brian Stollery.

Canada Laughs channel 168 features uncensored Canadian comedy 24/7 including stand-up, sketch, musical comedy and more, putting the spotlight on the rich pool of extraordinary talent from Canada. Canada Laughs is available to all Sirius and XM subscribers in Canada and across the U.S. and joins SiriusXM's hilarious comedy lineup, including Comedy Central Radio, Raw Dog Comedy Hits, The Foxxhole, Blue Collar Comedy, Laugh USA and more. Those satellite radio subscribers who add SiriusXM Internet Radio access to their subscription can listen to Canada Laughs and all of SiriusXM's comedy offerings on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App and online. 

To vote now visit www.siriusxm.ca/topcomic.

About SiriusXM Canada

Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. (TSX: XSR) operates as SiriusXM Canada. SiriusXM Canada, with approximately 2.5 million subscribers, is the country's leading audio entertainment company and broadcasts more than 120 satellite radio channels featuring premier sports, news, talk, entertainment and commercial-free music. SiriusXM Canada offers an array of content from the most recognized news, entertainment and major sports brands including the NHL, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, CNN, CBC, FOX, BBC, Howard Stern, Oprah, Disney, Comedy Central and more.

SiriusXM programming is available on a variety of devices including pre-installed and after-market radios in cars, trucks and boats, smartphones and mobile devices, and consumer electronics products for homes and offices. SiriusXM programming is also available online at www.siriusxm.ca and on Apple and Android-powered mobile devices.

SiriusXM Canada has partnerships with every major automaker and its radio products are available at more than 3,000 retail locations nationwide. To find out more about SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), visit our website at www.siriusxm.ca.

Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook at facebook.com/siriusxmcanada, on Twitter at twitter.com/siriusxmcanada and on Youtube at youtube.com/siriusxmcanada.

SOURCE SiriusXM Canada