After historic NAACP win, comedian Ali Siddiq brings the laughs to Miami

Comedian Ali Siddiq is coming to peform at the James L. Knight Center on Friday on the heels of winning an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety for his special “My Two Sons.”

The 75-minute comedy special focuses on his life as a father, but he considers his award a win for independent comedians. Siddiq, 52, said he hopes it will push artists to remain independent rather than feeling they have to rely on a bigger machine to get the accolades.

“To give people a little reassurance that they can do it on their own, that was gratifying,” he said.

Siddiq’s journey to comedy began when he was imprisoned for cocaine trafficking at 19, finding solace in honing his voice and telling jokes. “I’m not writing jokes. I’m telling stories about my particular life,” he said. “A joke is like a bit, and those things are a little different from what I do.”

Siddiq has built a steady following since then, appearing on Comedy Central’s Stand Up Presents (formerly known as the Half Hour) and having his own comedy special, “Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than These Bars,” which focused on his experience being incarcerated. The special was the first filmed inside a jail and was shortlisted for an Emmy.

In 2022, he gained more momentum with his four-part comedy series “Domino Effect,” which focused on his upbringing in Houston and his eventual incarceration. It’s been a meteoric rise from there with Siddiq recently winning three Webby Awards for his April 2025 comedy special “Rugged,” available on YouTube.

For Siddiq, comedy is giving people a place to relax and not cajole the audience for how they show up. “I’m not gonna make fun of somebody being skinny. I’m not making fun of nobody for being fat,” he said. “I’m not making fun of nobody’s hat, nobody’s shirt, because it’s like a form of bullying.”

While he didn’t tease what you can expect at the show, Siddiq said Miami is in for a treat: “It’s gonna be a ride, man, it’s gonna be a ride.”

IF YOU GO:

What: Ali Siddiq

When: Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m.

Where: James L. Knight Center, 400 SE Second Ave., Miami

Cost: $63 for remaining tickets

Info: https://jlkc.com/event/ali-siddiq-2/

This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 4:30 AM.