The Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award
The Tim Sims Encouragement Fund recognizes and supports promising comedic performers in the early stages of their careers.
The Tim Sims Encouragement Fund was founded by Lindsay Leese and established in 1995 in the spirit and memory of Tim Sims, a well-known comedic performer, writer, director, and charity fund-raiser from Toronto. The Toronto comedy community, Andrew Alexander and The Second City, friends of Tim and the annual fundraising showcases associated with the TSEF have raised the capital for the Fund. The interest generated by the capital makes up the annual cash award.
From 1996-2014, the Fund awarded prize money totaling $65,000 to young comedians in the early stages of their careers. The award was presented at the annual Cream of Comedy award show at Second City, which featured comedy performances by five outstanding jury-selected Tim Sims Award Nominees. The award was one of recognition and not designated for any purpose other than the recipient’s encouragement.
Beginning in 2015, the $2,500 award is given annually to a graduate of the Comedy Writing and Performance program at the Humber College, School of Creative and Performing Arts and until 2019, to a Conservatory Program Graduate at the Second City Training Program..
2025 Recipient
Humber College’s Comedy: Writing and Performance Program
Verne Bird
Verne (they/she) is a Toronto-based comedy writer and performer. They recently completed their studies at Humber College in the Comedy Writing and Performance program. Verne can be seen around the city performing stand-up, sketch, and improv comedy at venues like Tallboys, Comedy Bar Danforth and The Comedy Lab. A graduate from York University’s Theatre program, they have been creating live performance work for over 7 years. Recent solo theatre work includes burlesque-clown shows, “Lady Dolce” and “Brenda’s Big Number”. They are also a member of the local sketch comedy group Shrimp Mocktail. Rooted in queerness, Verne’s work is centred in finding absurdity and humour in the mundane.
“It’s a great honour to be the recipient of the Tim Sims Encouragement Award,” states Verne. “I’m extremely appreciative to my instructors at Humber as well as the Ontario Arts Foundation. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow as a comedian.”
Prize: $2,500
News Releases
Verne Bird Awarded the Tim Sims Encouragement Award July 15, 2025