Shayla Keane from Santa Maria College in Perth has been awarded the winner of the 28th annual Class Clowns National Grand Final, held as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Hosted by Bron Lewis, with special guest performances from Takashi Wakasugi and Aiden Willcox the 2024  Class Clowns National Grand Final saw eleven finalists from around the nation take to the stage in front of a live audience and a panel of industry experts - performing stand-up, sketch and parody for their chance to be crowned the funniest teen (or teens) in the country.

Shayla Keane’s performance impressed the judging team, with her 'charismatic stage presence and great range of material. Shayla captivated the audience and was just really very funny.'

As the winner, Shayla walked away with a prize of $1,500, a $1,000 workshop package for her school, plus the Class Clowns trophy.

Three joint runners-up were also given kudos by the judges – Bill McCart (QLD), Rex Forsyth (NSW) and Pretty Fly for a Black Guy’s Jahrahn Neal-Yeatman, Jarvis Robertson & Wendell Bowen (QLD).

Class Clowns is one of the development programs run by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Each year, the program helps hundreds of young people develop their comedy potential and cultivate the next generation of funny people as well as new and unique voices.

More than just a competition, the Class Clowns program gives participants from years 9-12 access to professional comedians as mentors, taking part in workshops and performing in front of live audience at a local, state and national level.

Class Clowns alumni include Josh Thomas (Please Like Me, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay), Annie Louey (radio announcer), William McKenna (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Aaron Chen (Fisk, 2017 Best Newcomer Award and 2019 Directors’ Choice Award winner at Melbourne International Comedy Festival) and Rhys Nicholson (RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under and Most Outstanding Award winner at Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022).