10. John Early
A song-and-dance man with an easy smile and the occasional morbid flight of fancy, John Early has been one of the best kept secrets in the New York cabaret and comedy scenes for the past couple of years, most notably with his monthly variety show Showgasm at Ars Nova. But this year, Early started popping up far more frequently onscreen, with small but memorable parts in Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and on Broad City. It’s good to see a young, ambitious talent get some recognition (have you seen his Showgirls remake?!), but for selfish New York reasons we hope he doesn’t blow up too much this next year—we like paying $10 to see him pop up at a Brooklyn theater.