Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias used his Generation Award acceptance speech at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival to argue that comedians should pursue the craft for the pleasure of performing rather than immediate financial reward. His remarks highlighted the revived festival’s celebration of established and emerging comics following its 2024 bankruptcy protection.

Iglesias, the first comedian to sell out Dodger Stadium, told the MTelus audience that comedy should make audiences smile, laugh, forget their problems and feel good. Host Tone Bell joked about the festival’s finances, while Lisa Gilroy won rising comedy star of the year, Chris Fleming received comedy performance of the year for his HBO special, and Atsuko Okatsuka was named breakout comedy star of the year.