Research Database of Female and Non-cisgender Comedians active in the 21st-Century Anglophone World

This file presents a research-oriented database of over 500 female and non-cisgender comedians active in the 21st-century Anglophone world (primarily the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand), compiled by Amber Kempynck as part of DELIAH: Democratic Literacy and Humour in February 2026. It is situated within a broader research project which investigates how these comedians have shaped new forms and spaces of stand-up comedy, fostering informal democratic participation through alternative speech, societal critique, and self-reflection. The selection of comedians was based on the availability of substantial recorded or documented performance materials, which should enable sustained scholarly analysis, rather than popularity alone. Entries are structured by name, biographical information, platforms used for dissemination, major output(s), gender, age (by generation), primary location, and web presence. The database is available via Notion or CSV/Excel file. Given the sensitive nature of the information presented in the database, access is restricted to research or industry use. Access will only be granted upon request by emailing Andrew.Bricker@UGent.be with a brief justification. Designed as a living, open, and reusable research tool, rather than a definitive canon, the database enables exploratory, comparative, and intersectional analysis, and remains open to revision in line with the evolving landscape of contemporary comedy.