Biography

Bruce Hills is a distinguished comedy curator with over 40 years of industry expertise. A pivotal figure in the growth of comedy festivals and television specials worldwide, his vision and leadership are instrumental in shaping the careers of some of the most influential comedians of our time.

In 2025, Bruce launched Bruce Hills Entertainment, with a sold-out concert featuring Kevin Hart at Montreal’s Bell Centre. His company co-promotes live comedy tours and shows with MRG Live, including Dave Chappelle, Josh Johnson, Rick Mercer’s Stand Up for Canada, Hasan Hates Ronny Ronny Hates Hasan, and Tom Green. The company is dedicated to championing comedians in Canada and internationally, while also providing consulting services to global companies in the comedy and entertainment sectors, including work with The Second City.

Prior to launching his own venture, Bruce resided for 39 years at the notorious Just For Laughs company. As a key figure behind the world's largest comedy festival, his career at JFL began as a festival driver in 1986. Rising through various roles, including , COO, and President, he oversaw the expansion of festivals in Montréal, Austin, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, London and Sydney. Over the past four decades, he has discovered and nurtured relationships with influential artists such as Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Wanda Sykes, Jimmy Carr, Ronny Chieng, Jessica Kirson, Jimmy Fallon, and Bill Burr.

His TV development efforts resulted in over 1,500 tv specials broadcast globally including deals with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Productions. He served as a consulting producer on NBC's "Bring the Funny" and as an Executive Producer on Amazon Prime’s docuseries "Inside Jokes." Hills also helped establish Just For Laughs Live as Canada’s top comedy promoter, producing sold-out tours nationwide.

Named one of Variety’s "50 Individuals Who Impacted Comedy," dubbed "The King of Comedy" by The Globe and Mail and hailed by UK GQ as "the most powerful man in international comedy," Hills has been honoured twice by Dave Chappelle. In 2015, he was recognized as the "Comedy Curator of a Generation" . A special accolade he shared with JFL was when the festival was the recipient of the 2017 Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s Icon Award. He has also won four additional Canadian Screen Awards for specials starring comedians such as Trevor Noah and Mae Martin.

Most recently, he became a Canada Comedy Hall of Fame inductee in 2022 alongside JFL colleague Andy Nulman, Lorne Michaels, Ivan Reitman and Mike & Norm MacDonald.
- IMDb mini biography by: Bruce Hills