2017 British Jazz Awards Nominations Announced!

The nominations for the 31st edition of the British Jazz Awards have been announced. Now in their 31st year, the awards were set up to help the best musicians, bands and album releases get the recognition they deserve.

Our panel of 14 experts from the jazz community put their heads together to produce the following list of nominees:

Best Trumpet Player: Bruce Adams, Enrico Tomasso, Freddie Gavita, Laura Jurd

Best Trombone Player: Adrian Fry, Dennis Rollins, Ian Bateman, Mark Nightingale

Best Clarinet Player: Alan Barnes, Julian Stringle, Mark Crooks, Peter Long

Best Alto Saxophone Player: Alan Barnes, Derek Nash, Nigel Hitchcock, Soweto Kinch

Best Tenor Saxophone Player: Alex Garnett, Art Themen, Karen Sharp, Robert Fowler

Best Guitarist: Jim Mullen, Martin Taylor, Nigel Price, Remi Harris

Best Pianist: David Newton, Gareth Williams, Nikki Iles, Zoe Rahman

Best Double Bass Player: Alec Dankworth, Andrew Cleyndert, Dave Green, Simon Thorpe

Best Drummer: Clark Tracey, Matt Home, Steve Brown, Winston Clifford

Best Vocalist: Claire Martin, Clare Teal, Georgia Mancio, Tina May

Miscellaneous Instruments: Alan Barnes (Baritone Saxophone), Jim Hart (Vibraphone), Karen Sharp (Baritone Saxophone), Ross Stanley

Best Small Group: Brandon Allen Six, Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen, Nigel Price Organ Trio, Tipitina

Best Big Band: Beats and Pieces, Echoes of Ellington, NYJO, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

Rising Star: Alexandra Ridout, Camilla George, Nubya Garcia, Rory Ingham

Best New CD: Explore Records for Golden Moments by Bruce Adams/Craig Milverton; Gearbox Records for Journey To The Mountain Of Forever by Binker & Moses; JVG Productions for It’s Always 9:30 In Zog by Dave O’Higgins; Woodville Records for The Lowest Common Denominator by Gilad Atzmon and Alan Barnes

Best Reissue CD: Acrobat Music for Helter Sketler by Joe Harriott; Harkit Records for Change of Setting by Tubby Hayes and Paul Gonsalves; Lake Records for Dusting Off The Archives by Humphrey Lyttelton; Rhythm and Blues Records for The Songbook by Harry South

 

You can vote online until 31st October at tiny.cc/britishjazzawards17/ – leave your email address, and you’ll be entered in to a prize draw for £100 worth of Big Bear CDs. Results will be announced here and on the British Jazz Awards Facebook page the following week.

And last of all, thanks to our nomination panel:

Chris Hodgkins Musician and Broadcaster
Cole Mathieson The Concorde Club
Dave Cottle Swansea International Jazz Festival
David Nathan National Jazz Archive
Denny Ilett Bristol International Jazz & Blues Festival
Fred Lindop Swanage Jazz Festival
Jill Rodger Glasgow Jazz Festival
John Billett JBGB Events
Lance Liddle Bebop Spoken Here
Laurie Burnette Jazz London Radio
Peter Vacher Jazz Writer
Phil Meadows Musician, Educator and Band Leader
Ron Simpson Jazz Rag
Sue Edwards Manager and Festival Organiser