The nominations for the Jazz FM Awards 2019, which take place in April, have been announced. The Awards recognise the best emerging new artists, contemporary icons and established stars from across the worlds of jazz, soul and blues.
Nominations include saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Mercury Prize-shortlisted Sons of Kemet, trailblazing Chicago jazz drummer Makaya McCraven, popular neo-soul singer and producer Leon Bridges, blues star Eric Bibb, and from the emerging jazz scene Nubya Garcia, Emma Jean-Thackray, Joe Armon-Jones, Moses Boyd, neo-soulstress Poppy Ajudha alongside South London collective Steam Down. Kamasi Washington’s impromptu performance at the residency has also been nominated for the Live Experience of the Year Award.
The UK Jazz Act of the Year and Live Experience of the Year, will be decided by a public vote. Public voting is open now at jazzfmawards.com and will close on Monday 12th March 2019.
The PPL Lifetime Achievement Award, PRS For Music Gold Award and Impact Award recipients will be announced ahead of the ceremony. Previous winners of these special awards have included the likes of George Benson, Dame Cleo Laine, Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter, Oscar-winning film director Damien Chazelle and the late Hugh Masekela.
Jazz FM’s Head of Music and broadcaster Chris Philips will be hosting the Awards Ceremony with Jez Nelson once again. Of the nominations list this year, Chris said:
“This year’s Jazz FM Award nominees list reflects another tremendous year of growth and interest in the music. In particular it’s fantastic to see some of our formerly recognised emerging talent like Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings sharing nominations with some of the World’s best, testament indeed to a vibrant and strengthening jazz community and industry here in the UK.”
The night will also feature special performances from a host of celebrated artists, still to be revealed. The main awards ceremony takes place at Shoreditch Town Hall on International Jazz Day which is 30th April.
To see a full list of nominees and for more information please visit jazzfmawards.com
The Jazz FM Awards 2019 is a partnership between Jazz FM and Serious and is made possible with the support of PRS for Music, PPL, Shoreditch Town Hall, Mishcon de Reya, Lateralize, Cambridge Audio, British Airways, Arqiva, Oanda, Warsteiner, Savile Row Gin, Denbies and Yamaha UK.