About Enissa Amani
Enissa Amani (born 8 December 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian-German comedian, artist and activist. She was the first European Woman with an international Netflix special in 2018 called "Ehrenwort" and a follow-up short-special called "Comedians of the World" also on Netflix. She produced and hosted a viral panel talk about racism called "Die beste Instanz" in 2020, which led her to win the German Grimme Online Award. Her comedy often focuses on the subjects of politics, social issues, racism, and ethnicity.
Amani studied law at the University of Cologne in Germany and won several beauty pageants, such as Miss West-Germany. She quit law to study literature and philosophy and presented as a host on QVC for only a few months before she went to an open mic in 2013. Shortly thereafter, she appeared in several German TV and late night shows and won the German Comedy Award "Deutscher Comedy Preis" for best Newcomer of the Year in 2015. In 2015, she was a contestant on the RTL Show Let's Dance with Christian Polanc as dancing partner, and the duo took fourth place.
Since 2019 she has been a prominent activist for human rights targeting racism in Germany, human rights in Iran, sexism, Afghanistan, antisemitism and Islamophobia. Also since 2019 she started doing English standup and had shows in the Soho Theatre in London and appearances at the Laugh Factory Los Angeles and the Comedy Cellar New York. In September 2025 Amani joined the Global Sumud Flotilla to protest the Gaza war, leaving the flotilla due to a medical condition shortly before all the flotilla's 42 vessels were seized by Israeli forces by 3 October 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Enissa Amani known for?
She is an Iranian-German comedian, artist and activist, and was the first European Woman with an international Netflix special in 2018 called "Ehrenwort."
What does Enissa Amani's comedy focus on?
Her comedy often focuses on the subjects of politics, social issues, racism, and ethnicity.
How did Enissa Amani begin her comedy career?
She studied law, then quit to study literature and philosophy and presented as a host on QVC for only a few months before she went to an open mic in 2013, after which she appeared in several German TV and late night shows.
What award did she win for "Die beste Instanz"?
In 2020 she created, produced, and hosted a show about racism called "Die beste Instanz" which led her to win the prestigious German Grimme Online Preis.
Has Enissa Amani performed in English?
Yes, since 2019 she started doing English standup and had shows in the Soho Theatre in London and appearances at the Laugh Factory Los Angeles and the Comedy Cellar New York.
