Charlie Watts to be honoured at the Jazz FM Awards

With the date of the 2017 Jazz FM Awards fast approaching, it has been revealed that the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts will be honoured with this year’s Gold Award in recognition of his lifelong contribution to jazz and blues. Charlie has also been nominated for two Awards with the Rolling Stones under the categories of Album of the Year and Blues Artist of the Year.

Charlie Watts said: Following on from last month’s announcement of the 2017 Jazz FM Awards nominations, it has been confirmed that the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, whose new jazz album is released on Universal Records in April, will be the recipient of The Gold Award. The Gold Award is awarded to Watts in recognition of his lifelong contribution to jazz and blues. Watts has also been nominated for two Awards with the Rolling Stones under the categories of Album of the Year and Blues Artist of the Year.

On hearing the news, Charlie said “I am very grateful to be honoured by Jazz FM for my contribution to Jazz and Blues.  I’ve always loved and been influenced by the music and its players. It was one of the reasons I wanted to be a musician myself.  It’s still important that we continue to support this music to ensure it lives on for the next generations. “

Taking place at the newly announced venue of the Shoreditch Town Hall on April 25th, the 100th anniversary of Ella Fitzgerald’s birth, the night will be hosted by one of Jazz FM’s founding presenters, Jez Nelson, and feature a series of exclusive live performances including a special tribute to Ella from Laura Mvula, who is nominated for the first time this year for the Soul Artist of the Year Award. Also performing on the night is US saxophonist and David Bowie’s Blackstar collaborator Donny McCaslin, as well as the PPL Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Georgie Fame, with Guy Barker heading up a band featuring Alec Dankworth, Jim Watson and James Powell. 

Artists who have been nominated for the 2017 Jazz FM Awards include Gregory Porter, Laura Mvula, William Bell, Wayne Shorter, Madeleine Peyroux, Gilles Peterson, Donny McCaslin, Anderson .Paak, Kurt Elling, Robert Glasper, Shabaka Hutchings, Yussef Kaamal, Soweto Kinch and Julian Arguelles, while La La Land and Whiplash director Damien Chazelle will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award.