Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane Shortlisted For Prizes At The 2019 Jazz FM Awards

Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane are just two of the legendary names in the running for prizes at the 2019 Jazz FM Awards.

The nominations for 2019 have been announced this evening. Taking place at Shoreditch Town Hall on International Jazz Day, 30 April, the Awards recognise the best emerging new artists, contemporary icons and established stars from across the worlds of jazz, soul and blues.

This year’s list features the likes of Mercury Prize-shortlisted Sons of Kemet, trailblazing Chicago jazz drummer Makaya McCraven, popular neo-soul singer and producer Leon Bridges, and blues star Eric Bibb.

Once again, the UK’s celebrated emerging jazz scene features in full force with Nubya Garcia, Emma Jean-Thackray, Joe Armon-Jones, Moses Boyd, and hotly-tipped neo-soulstress Poppy Ajudha nominated alongside South London collective Steam Down, whose weekly residency in Deptford and spell-binding live shows have become hugely influential in redefining the parameters of jazz for new audiences. Kamasi Washington’s impromptu performance at the residency has also been nominated for the Live Experience of the Year Award.

John Coltrane’s posthumous Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album, which charted in the top 20 of the Official Album Charts last year, is up for ‘Album of the Year’ with stiff competition from the likes of Sons of Kemet’s Mercury-shortlisted Your Queen Is A Reptile, Brownswood’s We Out Here compilation, and US saxophonist Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams for Vanished Gardens. The category, in addition to UK Jazz Act of the Year and Live Experience of the Year, will be decided by public vote.

The night will also feature special performances from a host of celebrated artists, still to be revealed.

Jazz FM 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 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.

Public voting is open now through the Jazz FM Awards official website and will close on Monday, 12 March 2019

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.

The full list of Jazz FM Awards 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

Format: UK English