Created by their children, the William W. W. Knight and Beverley Randolph Knight honors their parents’ love of humor and the laughter that filled their home. This scholarship provides financial support to University of Virginia students currently in their 1st–3rd year who are identified as having an excellent sense of humor.
Recipients are selected based on three criteria:
- Outstanding sense of humor
- Scholastic merit
- Financial need*
* Those with no financial need will be ineligible to win scholarship funds, but are welcome to participate and perform at the live event.
Comedy Knight 2026 will be at Newcomb Hall Theater on January 29!
This portion of the scholarship involves a live stand-up event. Performers may be eligible to win up to $4,000 in scholarship funds. Review the rules and criteria below, sign up to audition, and prepare a short stand-up routine and receive feedback and tips from our guest judge.
Key Dates
- Audition sign-up deadline. Sign up here
- In-person auditions at Newcomb Hall.
- Comedy Knight event at Newcomb Theater
Stand-Up Comedy Rules and Criteria
- All work must be original.
- Stand-up comedy must be completed live and in-person at the event.
- Performances should be a maximum of five minutes.
- Your content must not be defamatory or insulting to others based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity. Humor based on yourself and your own identity is allowed and encouraged.
- Be surprising and creative—push yourself beyond excessive clichéd, foul or vulgar language.