BIO: Tom Ballard – Comedian/Broadcaster

tom-ballard   Ever since he played the role of Blitzen in a local amateur production of Rock’n’Roll Santa back in 1997 in his home town of Warrnambool, Tom Ballard’scomedy career has been on a steady decline.

Having overcome serious sex and chocolate milk addictions at 14, Ballard managed to become a three-time Class Clowns National Finalist and a RAW National Finalist by 2006.

On the strength of his RAW performance, Tom was offered work with national youth radio network, triple j.

Having presented the Summer Lunch slot over the summer of 2008/2009, he presented Weekend Breakfast in 2009, and you can now find him on your airwaves daily as co-host of triple j breakfast, all with his silly friend, Alex Dyson.

At the age of 19, Tom has performed at numerous venues around the country, has supported the likes of Charlie Pickering and Fiona O’Loughlin and is a regular at Melbourne’s Local Laughs and Spleen Bar.

He has been invited to perform at prestigious venues such as The Mic in Hand in Melbourne, the Sydney Comedy Store and Brisbane Powerhouse. He has been chosen to perform as a feature act at RAW Comedy finals, he was part of the star-studded Young Blood Comedy Tours in 2007 and 2008 and was a guest performer in the 2007 Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Eskimo Jokes show.

Tom was selected to perform in Candlelight Productions’ Squeaky Clean Comedy show at Chapel off Chapel in 2008 and he has made guest appearances on Studio A, The Comic Box and ABC 774’s The Conversation Hour.

Tom was one quarter of the 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Comedy Zone, a showcase of the best up and coming talent in the country as selected by the festival. The Melbourne Age described him as “lanky”.

Not that he’s bragging or anything.

In April, Tom brought his debut solo show, Tom Ballard Is What He Is to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and was the youngest person EVER to take out the prestigious Melbourne Airport Best Newcomer award. Is What He Is was also nominated for a Golden Gibbo Award; an award that recognizes independent shows that “buck trends and pursue the artist’s ideas more strongly than it puruses any commercial lure”.

2009 is about to see Tom travel overseas to perform at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal and then on to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

He will bring a brand new stand-up show to the 2009 Melbourne Fringe Festival in September.

La-di-dah.

Tom’s mum thinks he’s quite funny, but wishes he wouldn’t swear quite as much as he does.

“Watch this boy: he’s going places” The Age

Live Shows
2009 – Several Nights Only – Solo Show
Melbourne Fringe Festival

2009 -Tom Ballard Is What He Is – Solo Show
Melbourne International Comedy Festival & St Kilda Laughs Festival

2008 – The Comedy Zone – Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Radio
2010 – triple j breakfast – Co-host
2009 – triple j Weekend Breakfast Host
2008 – 2009 – triple j Summer Lunch Host

Television
2009-2010 – Network Ten -The 7PM Project, Regular Guest
2009 – SBS – ADbc
2009 – Channel 31 – Studio A – Regular Guest
2009 – triple jtv with the Doctor – Writer/performer
2008 – triple jtv’s The Hack Half Hour – Guest
2008 – Channel 31 – Studio A – Guest

Other Notable Live Work
2009 – Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow
2009 – Class Clowns Gala – Melbourne International Comedy Festival
2008 – Young Blood Comedy Tour
2008 – Squeaky Clean Comedy
2007 – Eskimo Jokes – Guest Performer, Melbourne International Comedy Festival
2007 – Young Blood Comedy Tour

Awards
2009 – Best Newcomer Award – Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Exclusively represented by Token Artists (Jan 2010).