The 50 Funniest Women of 2016

(Image credit: Getty images)

By The Editors published 16 December 16

Behind every great laugh, there's a greater, totally hilarious woman: This year, women are starring in the funniest movies, TV shows, and comedy specials we're most obsessed with—and writing and producing them, too. Here—in no particular order, because they're all equally, ridiculously brilliant—this year's reigning queens of comedy.

1/50

Amy Schumer

Badass alert: She released her best-selling debut book The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo this year and will play Barbie in a live-action movie slated for 2018.

Nailed it: Her whip-smart humor has made her Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, required viewing for anyone with eyes (currently on its fourth season) and she branched out on the big screen with the hit Trainwreck. See also: literally anything that comes out of her mouth.

Real talk: "Woman who likes herself #OffendEveryoneIn4Words."(@amyschumer)

2/50

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Badass alert: She does bad really good—from the Elaine dance (Seinfeld) to the White House (Veep). See also: her cameo in Inside Amy Schumer's "Last F*ckable Day" sketch.

Find her: @OfficialJLD.

3/50

Samantha Bee

Real talk: She's been described as the John Stewart we all needed this past election cycle and an essential voice of dissent in Trump's America. "And I am female as fuck." (Bee's sign-off in the trailer for her TBS late-night show.)

Find her: @iamsambee.

4/50

Lena Dunham

Badass alert: A Girls' girl who girls love (Watch her now-iconic HBO show or follow her ever-insightful newsletter Lenny Letter to learn why.)

Find her: @lenadunham.

5/50

Abbi Jacobsen and Ilana Glazer

Badass alert: The hilarious creators and stars of Broad City redefined the stoner-comedy genre and helped to coin a vernacular for the millennial woman "Yasss queen."

Find them: @ilazer, @abbijacobson.

6/50

Amy Poehler

Badass alert: Everything the SNL alum touches turns into goddamn comedy gold: UCB Theatre, Broad City, Parks and Recreation, the Golden Globes.

Nailed it: She's slated to appear with fellow SNL alum Will Ferrell in next year's comedy The House.

7/50

Chrissy Teigen

Badass alert: Super-funny supermodel, new mother, and #BlenderWar instigator.

Real talk: "I get the most retweets from avocado tweets," she says. "Avocados dying really hits home."

8/50

Anna Chlumsky

Nailed it: In her epic meltdown on Veep.

Real talk: "You know, if it's a boy, maybe I'll name him after you, call him Fuckweasel." (as Amy on Veep)

9/50

Jessi Klein

Who's that girl: Head writer and co-executive producer of Inside Amy Schumer.

Badass alert: She published a hilarious and charming collection of real-life stories called You'll Grow Out of It this year.

10/50

Kristen Schaal

Nailed it: As someone we'd love to survive the apocalypse with and in basically every voice cameo she makes, from Bob's Burgers to BoJack Horseman.

Binge-watch: Last Man on Earth.

11/50

Bonnie McFarlane

Who's that girl: Her "cocumentary"—that's comedy documentary FYI—Women Aren't Funny will make you laugh, cry, and get pissed off (mostly at dumb dudes). Read her no-holds-barred 2016 memoir You're Better than Me for even more laughs.

Find her: @bonniemcfarlane.

12/50

Sarah Colonna

Badass alert: Has Anyone Seen My Pants?, the recent follow-up to her book Life As I Blow It.

Find her: @sarahcolonna.

13/50

Natasha Leggero

Who's that girl: One-half of the Bellacourt sisters behind the Downton Abbey/Keeping Up with the Kardashians mash-up Another Period.

Find her: @natashaleggero.

14/50

Jenni Konner

Who's that girl: The executive producer of HBO's Girls and co-creator of the weekly feminist newsletter Lenny Letter which she runs with Lena Dunham.

Real talk: "Bitches be Googling 'early onset Alzheimer's symptoms.'" (@JenniKonner)

15/50

Lesley Arfin

Badass alert: A Writer's Guild of America award winner who co-created (with Judd Apatow and Paul Rust) this year's Netflix Original series Love.

Find her: @lesleyarfin.

16/50

Aparna Nancherla

Who's that girl: The deadpan comic on every comedy nerd's radar (she put out a stand-up album this year called Just Putting it Out There).

Real talk: "I wish you could Shazam whether people are worth getting to know." (@aparnapkin)

17/50

Jen Kirkman

Binge-watch: Feel good while streaming I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine) on Netflix.

Find her: @JenKirkman.

18/50

Miranda Hart

Who's that girl: Spy sidekick with a major fan base across the pond (she'll star in Disney's live-action Nutcracker this year).

Find her: @mermhart.

19/50

Whitney Cummings

Badass alert: Her new HBO stand-up special I'm Your Girlfriend premiered earlier this year and she was green-lighted for an HBO pilot inspired by Maureen Dowd's book Are Men Necessary?

Binge-watch: Her show 2 Broke Girls on CBS.

20/50

Iliza Shlesinger

Binge-watch: Her new comedy special Confirmed Kills on Netflix.

Find her: @iliza.

21/50

Ellie Kemper

Binge-watch: The Office alum on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix).

Real talk: "Hashbrown: no filter" (as Kimmy).

22/50

Tig Notaro

Binge-watch: One Mississippi (Amazon).

Nailed it: On her stand-up tour inside fans' homes.

23/50

Nicole Byer

Who's that girl: Watch the L.A.-based UCB performer on MTV's *Loosely Exactly Nicole.

Real talk: "I wore really cute shoes today and no one complimented them. Is everyone OK?" (@nicolebyer)

24/50

Riki Lindhome

Who's that girl: The other half of the Bellacourt sisters in Another Period.

Find her: @rikilindhome.

25/50

Erin Gibson

Who's that girl: Co-host of the Throwing Shade podcast and creator of Funny or Die's Gay of Thrones.

Find her: @gibblertron.

26/50

Constance Wu

Nailed it: ABC's Fresh Off the Boat.

Find her: @ConstanceWu.

27/50

Kelly Oxford

Nailed it: The Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar author has a crazy-funny Twitter feed.

Find her: @kellyoxford.

28/50

Jenny Slate

Badass alert: She's teaming up with Obvious Child director Gillian Robespierre for an FX comedy pilot.

Nailed it: In everything she does—Married, Kroll Show, Bob's Burgers.

29/50

Mindy Kaling

Badass alert: She'll appear in the all-female reboot of the Ocean's series (Ocean's Eight) and the latest season of The Mindy Project is on our Hulu queue (season five, streaming TBD).

Find her: @mindykaling.

30/50

Tracee Ellis Ross

Nailed it: As the straight-talking Dr. Rainbow Johnson on ABC's Black-ish.

Badass alert: Have you seen her IMDb page?

31/50

Sarah Silverman

Badass alert: She killed it at this year's Democratic National Convention and has an untitled comedy pilot with HBO in the works.

Binge-watch: We Are Miracles on HBO Go.

32/50

Chelsea Handler

Badass alert: Her new Netflix half-hour series Chelsea which has her interviewing celebrities and professionals.

Nailed it: She's battling social media sexism, one topless Instagram at a time.

33/50

Melissa McCarthy

Badass alert: We hereby declare Melissa McCarthy the Badassiest Action Movie Star Ever. She can throw a punch, lead a high-speed chase, and battle the undead, all while making us double over with laughter.

Nailed it: In this year's lady-powered Ghostbusters reboot and as her quiet claim to fame Sookie in the new episodes of Gilmore Girls.

34/50

Emily Heller

Who's that girl: Co-host of the Baby Geniuses podcast and writer for the NBC sitcom Crowded.

Real talk: "So terrified of getting wrinkles, which is why I am having my face removed completely this Tuesday." (@MrEmilyHeller)

35/50

Nasim Pedrad

Badass alert: She appeared in New Girl this year and Ryan Murphy's latest, Scream Queens.

Nailed it: Good thing she's already played royalty on SNL: "Someone recently asked how I would do Kim Kardashian differently now. Has that much changed? I wouldn't give her a Norwegian Accent!"

36/50

Chelsea Peretti

Nailed it: In her Netflix Original special, One of the Greats, and on Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Find her: @ChelseaVPeretti.

37/50

Nikki Glaser

Who's that girl: A big effin' deal. Her Comedy Central sex- centric talk show Not Safe with Nikki Glaser launched this year.

Find her: @NikkiGlaser.

38/50

Megan Amram

Who's that girl: The former Parks and Recreation writer schooled us with the book Science...For Her! and produces the new NBC sitcom with Kristen Bell The Good Place.

Find her: @meganamram.

39/50

Bridget Everett

Who's that girl: Her fearless cabaret act is something everyone should see before they die.

Find her: @bridgeteverett.

40/50

Michelle Collins

Nailed it: She makes the internet a funnier place.

Real talk: "Spending today working on my 'looking human while entering a room' face." (@michcoll)

41/50

Issa Rae

Nailed it: The creator of the YouTube series Awkward Black Girl is back at it again with the buzzy new HBO comedy series Insecure.

Binge-watch: Insecure on HBO.

42/50

Julie Klausner

Who's that girl: The creator and star of Difficult People on Hulu and host of the way-popular podcast How Was Your Week?.

Find her: @julieklausner.

43/50

Jenny Johnson

Nailed it: Look out for her new book Immature Adult. Then read it.

Find her: @JennyJohnsonHi5.

44/50

Taraji P. Henson

Nailed it: The always-quotable star of Fox's Empire.

Find her: @TherealTaraji.

45/50

Jessica Williams

Who's that girl: The correspondent in all of your favorite The Daily Show with Jon Stewart clips.

Nailed it: As the co-host of the cult podcast Two Dope Queens.

46/50

Katja Blichfeld

Binge-watch: High Maintenance, the web series she co-created (picked up by HBO, NBD) about a Brooklyn weed dealer and his clients.

47/50

Jena Friedman

Who's that girl: Comedian and field producer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. See: "The Unborn Ultimatum."

Find her: @JenaFriedman.

48/50

Cameron Esposito

Who's that girl: The comic behind "The Greatest Period Joke of All Time."

Nailed it: "The number of times I've seen a mike become a penis on a comedy stage," she says, "yet, we're still fighting to talk about our bodies as if they exist."

49/50

Jen Statsky

Who's that girl: She's written for Broad City, Parks and Recreation, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon—and she's probably making you laugh right now.

Find her: @jenstatsky.

50/50