Enissa Amani

Enissa Amani was born on December 8, 1981, in Tehran, Iran, and later emigrated to Germany. She pursued studies in law at the University of Cologne before transitioning to literature and philosophy. Her early career included winning several beauty pageants, such as Miss West-Germany. Amani began her stand-up comedy career in 2013 after attending an open mic event, quickly gaining prominence in the German entertainment scene. She appeared on various German television programs, including “TV total,” “NightWash,” and “The Satire Summit.” In 2015, she received the Deutscher Comedy Preis for “Best Newcomer.”

Amani’s career progressed with her participation in the RTL show “Let’s Dance” in 2015, where she and her partner, Christian Polanc, secured fourth place. A significant milestone in her career was becoming the first European woman to have an international Netflix stand-up special, “Ehrenwort,” released in 2018. This was followed by another Netflix special, “Comedians of the World,” in 2019. In 2020, Amani produced and hosted “Die beste Instanz,” a viral panel discussion focusing on racism, which earned her the prestigious German Grimme Online Award in 2021.

Since 2019, Amani has been an active advocate for human rights, addressing issues such as racism in Germany, human rights in Iran, sexism, and Islamophobia. She frequently speaks at public events, including Black Lives Matter rallies in 2020 and Woman Life Freedom events in 2022. She expanded her comedy to English stand-up, performing at venues like the Soho Theatre in London, Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, and the Comedy Cellar in New York. Her activism and comedic work have garnered significant attention, including a Barbie doll created in her likeness in March 2024 to commemorate International Women’s Day. In September 2025, she participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla to protest the Gaza war, leading to her detention by Israeli forces.