The 2025 Jersey City Comedy Festival is looking for fresh talent. Winners get $500 cash and score stage time at top clubs across New York City and New Jersey during the June 10-14 event. Have five minutes of solid comedy material? Send your raw, unedited video to jerseycitycomedyfestival.com/submissions. No fancy edits in those submission videos. Raw footage shows who’s really got what it takes.

Smart comics get in on early-bird pricing: just $10 if you apply Dec. 16-31. Living in Jersey City? You’re in luck. Show proof of address and get that sweet $10 rate anytime. Everyone else pays more as deadlines approach: $20 in January, $30 in February, and a hefty $40 in March.

Semifinalists perform for four minutes on June 12 or 13. Each show advances two comics to the finals: one audience pick and one judge’s choice. Simple as that. The competition runs like the major leagues. Two comics move forward each round through a split vote: part audience reaction, part expert judgment. It takes serious talent to win. You need to impress both regular audiences and industry pros watching.

April delivers the good news for those who make it. The complete lineup goes public on May 15, with finals happening on June 14.

Big names from Comedy Central and Stand-Up New York have been judges before. Their approval can kickstart careers. Winners get prime spots at The Laugh Tour Comedy Club. Art House Productions teams up with them throughout the festival.

Keep June 12-14 free if you enter. You might need to perform in “Best of the Fest” shows too.