Slowikowska wins Mooney Award for Season 51

The rookie was impressive for one of the five newcomers to Saturday Night Live for Season 51. Veronika Slowikowska went from social media comedy star to the TV screen on the most venerable American variety show, and she shined.

SNL Rankings has honored Slowikowska with the annual Kyle J. Mooney Award, given to the cast member who is most unappreciated on the show. Yes, Veronika had a fine rookie season, but she still had to stand in line behind a few veteran women on the cast more often that we would have liked.

When Slowikowska was given a chance to show what she could do, she was fantastic in her first year on the long running NBA show. Notable appearances included the Snack Homiez sketch, a sketch titled White Castle Drive-Thru where she shared feature role with Jane Wickline, and perhaps her strongest performance, in Guy’s Girl, a sketch where she finds a way to fit in with dudes at a sports watch party.

The Mooney Award is exclusive to SNL Rankings, where we acknowledge the greatness of former cast member Mooney, who was both quirky and underutilized by the writers and on the show.

Unlike Mooney, who seemed to be swimming upstream for his entire tenure on SNL in an attempt to get more screen time, Slowikowska has lots of time to become a star on the show. She clearly represents a new era of the show, appealing to younger fans who may be more comfortable getting their comedy fix on social media.

Most Recent Winners of Kyle J. Mooney Award