The nominees for this year’s much-anticipated JAZZ FM awards, due to take place on International Jazz Day, on Thursday April 30th in London’s Shoreditch Town Hall, have just been announced and recognise the idiom’s rising stars and its contemporary trendsetters as well as the iconic trailblazers.
Those nominated range from true giants, like jazz legend John Coltrane, whose album ‘Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album,’ stormed into the UK Top 40 album charts last year, and octogenarian saxophone guru, Wayne Shorter, whose ‘Emanon’ album – a contender in the Album Of The Year category – has just picked up a Grammy award. Also nominated from the USA are saxophonist Kamasi Washington, veteran blues maven, Eric Bibb, jazz sage, Charles Lloyd, soul singers, Leon Bridges and Jose James, and rising drummer/composer, Makaya McCraven.
As always, the Jazz FM Awards, despite being international in its scope , also has a strong British flavour, reflected by the presence of Biriths jazz acts, Sons Of Kemet along with Nubya Garcia, Emma Jean-Thackray, Joe Armon-Jones, Moses Boyd, Camilla George, Cassie Kinoshi, Ian Shaw and Rob Luft.
Hosting the Awards Ceremony with Jez Nelson is Jazz FM’s Head of Music and broadcaster, Chris Philips, who says:“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.”
You can have your say by taking part in the public vote here – www.jazzfmawards.com – but you’ll have to hurry because the closing date is on Monday 12th March 2019.
Here’s the full list of 2019 Nominees:
Breakthrough Act
Cassie Kinoshi
Emma-Jean Thackray
Sarah Tandy
The Digital Award with Oanda
Blue Lab Beats
Louis Cole
Moses Boyd – 1Xtra Residency
The Innovation Award with Mishcon de Reya
Orphy Robinson – Freedom Sessions at Vortex
Steam Down
Tomorrow’s Warriors
Instrumentalist of the Year
Camilla George
Jean Toussaint
Rob Luft
International Jazz Act of the Year with Lateralize
Jamie Branch
Makaya McCraven
Wayne Shorter
Soul Act of the Year
José James
Leon Bridges
Poppy Ajudha
Blues Act of the Year
Eric Bibb
Errol Linton
Roosevelt Collier
Vocalist of the Year
Cherise Adams-Burnett
Ian Shaw
Judi Jackson
UK Jazz Act of the Year (Public Vote) with Cambridge Audio
Jason Yarde
Joe Armon-Jones
Nubya Garcia
Album of the Year (Public Vote) with Arqiva
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams – Vanished Gardens
Jean Toussaint Allstar 6Tet – Brother Raymond
John Coltrane – Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album
Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Reptile
Various Artists – We Out Here
Wayne Shorter – Emanon
Live Experience of the Year (Public Vote)
Jason Moran: The Harlem Hellfighters – Tour
Jazz Re:Fest 2018: Brighton Edition
Makaya McCraven and Nubya Garcia – EFG London Jazz Festival
Orphy Robinson presents Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks – Tour
Steam Down featuring Kamasi Washington
The Cookers – Church of Sound
Impact Award
TBA
PRS Gold Award
TBA
PPL Lifetime Achievement Award
TBA
