Ramy Youssef earns third Golden Globe nomination for stand-up comedy special

Egyptian-American comedian who won in 2020 has been recognised for his stand-up special performance on HBO

Ramy Youssef has been nominated for three Golden Globes in his career. EPA

Ramy Youssef has received the third Golden Globe nomination of his career. The Egyptian-American comedian, 33, been nominated for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television for his 2024 HBO special Ramy Youssef: More Feelings.

The annual awards, which recognises international films and television shows as well as artists, is set to be held on January 5 in Los Angeles with comedian Nikki Glaser set to host.

Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, released in March on OSN+ in the region, was a sequel to his 2019 special Feelings. The special tackled Youssef's “unique reflections on a divided world,” according to the show's description, covering topics including the “unexpected perils” of charitable giving, the US presidential election, a childhood book report that changed his life, and prayer.

“I’m done apologising,” Youssef says in the trailer. “I’m done saying that we’re peaceful. For 20 years we’ve had to prove to people that we’re safe, right? Every time you turn on CNN, there’s just like some Arab dude talking about how Islam means peace. You know that guy? But he’s always shouting it.

“He’s always like: ‘We come in peace!’ You’re like: ‘Bro, that’s the slogan for aliens.' That’s what aliens say before they take over the planet, bro.’ I’m done. I’m done saying sorry.”

Ramy Youssef became the first Arab comedian to host Saturday Night Live in March. Photo: NBC

The special was directed Chris Storer, who previously directed episodes of Ramy before creating The Bear. Youssef directed an episode of The Bear in season two, earning him an Emmy nomination in July.

Youssef previously won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for his series Ramy in 2020, and was nominated again in the category the following year.

This year has been another successful one. He starred as Max McCandles in the film Poor Things, which won two Academy Awards in March. He also became the first Arab comedian to host Saturday Night Live in March, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during his opening monologue. Youssef has been a vocal member of the Ceasefire4Gaza movement on red carpets throughout the year.

“So that night I go to pray and my prayers are … complicated. I’ve got a lot to fit in,” he said. “My God, please, please help Ahmed’s family. Please stop the suffering. Stop the violence. Please free the people of Palestine. Please. And please free the hostages, all of the hostages, please."

The comedian also has co-created two upcoming projects heading to Netflix in 2025. In January, the streaming platform will release the second season of the award-winning series Mo, focusing on the titular Palestinian comedian Mo Amer. Youssef will also star in the series Golf opposite Will Ferrell, with a release date to be determined.