Jazz FM Awards 2021 Nominees Announced

This year’s nominees include star saxophonist Nubya Garcia, chart-topping singer Celeste, London soul collective SAULT, US pianist and singer Jon Batiste, fast-rising trumpeter Emma-Jean Thackray, producer and DJ Floating Points with the London Symphony Orchestra and Pharoah Sanders, neo-soul singer-songwriter Ego Ella May, revered British-Italian singer Georgia Mancio, and the legendary alto saxophonist Gary Bartz.

Jazz FM Content Director Nick Pitts said ‘We are of course delighted that the Jazz FM Awards will return in 2021 to celebrate the incredible level of innovation, creativity and joy that the global jazz community has to offer. Jazz has provided a lifeline for so many of us over the last year and a half and we look forward to bringing everyone together again for what is sure to be a very special occasion’.

He also welcomed PPL and PRS for Music as the Jazz FM Awards headline sponsors for 2021. Both organisations have been strong supporters of the Jazz FM Awards since its inception in 2013.

Andrea Czapary Martin, CEO, PRS for Music added ‘We are incredibly proud to be joint headline sponsor of this year’s Jazz FM Awards, alongside PPL. Even in the face of a global pandemic, songwriters and composers in the jazz, soul and blues communities continued to produce inspired music, and we are honoured to support Jazz FM in acknowledging and recognising them for their exceptional work. Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and we look forward to celebrating with you in person at this truly special event.’

Peter Leathem, Chief Executive Officer, PPL said ‘Having supported the Jazz FM Awards since it began in 2013, we are delighted to be this year’s headline partners alongside our colleagues at . We are proud champions of jazz music at PPL and are delighted to help fund the careers of artists through our talent development work. Indeed, it’s a pleasure to see a number of artists we have supported through the PRS Foundation PPL Momentum Music Fund amongst those shortlisted this year. The UK is a hotbed of jazz music talent and we look forward to the sector’s continued success in the future.’

The winners will be announced in a special programme hosted by Anne Frankenstein on October 28th 2021 and will be available to livestream via Jazz FM.

NOMINEES for the JAZZ FM AWARDS 2021 with PPL and PRS for Music are:

BLUES ACT OF THE YEAR
Eric Bibb 
Marcus Bonfanti 
Ruthie Foster 

BREAKTHROUGH ACT OF THE YEAR
Jas Kayser 
Nathaniel Cross 
Secret Night Gang 

THE DIGITAL AWARD
Bandcamp Fridays 
jazz re:freshed 
Kansas Smitty’s 

THE INNOVATION AWARD sponsored by Mishcon de Reya
Blue Note Re:imagined 
EFG London Jazz Festival 
SAULT 

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Amanda Whiting 
Daniel Casimir 
Ed 'Tenderlonious' Cawthorne 

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR sponsored by Travelzoo
Christian McBride 
Gary Bartz 
Maria Schneider 

SOUL ACT OF THE YEAR
Ego Ella May 
Jon Batiste 
Omar 

VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Celeste 
Ego Ella May 
Georgia Mancio 

PUBLIC VOTE CATEGORIES
Public voting is open now at www.jazzfmawards.com and will close on Friday September 24th. 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Fergus McCreadie: Cairn 
Floating Points, London Symphony Orchestra, and Pharoah Sanders: Promises 
Jon Batiste: WE ARE 
Matthew Halsall: Salute To The Sun 
Nubya Garcia: SOURCE 
SAULT: UNTITLED (Black Is) 

UK JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR
Archipelago 
Emma-Jean Thackray 
Fergus McCreadie 

GIFTED AWARD CATEGORIES 
GOLD AWARD, IMPACT AWARD and LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
To be announced.

The Jazz FM Awards 2021 is made possible with the support of PPL and PRS for Music, Mishcon De Reya, Travelzoo and Yamaha. Since launching in 2013, the Jazz FM Awards has become one of the most anticipated events in the international jazz calendar honouring some of the true greats of the genre including the likes of Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Dame Cleo Laine, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Georgie Fame and Ahmad Jamal.

Launching this year on the Jazz FM Premium app is a Jazz FM Awards channel that celebrates the rich history of the Awards with non-stop, ad break free music from winners and nominees. Jazz FM Premium launched earlier this year and offers its subscribers 20 exclusive Jazz FM stations along with a host of additional content.

www.jazzfmawards.com