Nominees announced for the Jazz FM Awards 2018

Bassist extraordinaire Thundercat, formidable vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, genre-bending bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding, and pioneering trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah are all up for Jazz FM Awards this year, alongside the cream of the thriving UK scene including Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia, Jacob Collier and Yazz Ahmed. London's Ezra Collective are leading the nominations with inclusion in three categories. The news was announced at last night’s nominations event held at ‘Melomania at Cambridge Audio’.

Recognising the best emerging new artists, contemporary jazz icons and established stars from across the worlds of jazz, soul and blues, the Jazz FM Awards are now in their fifth outing and will celebrate what has been a remarkable year for jazz which has seen the genre continue to enjoy widespread critical acclaim and a huge resurgence in popularity. The ceremony will take place at Shoreditch Town Hall on International Jazz Day - 30 April.

As well as the awards presentation, which will be hosted by Jazz FM presenters Chris Philips and Jez Nelson, the night will feature several performances from a range of acclaimed artists led by rising star pianist and MD of this year’s Jazz FM Awards House Band, Ashley Henry.

Cecile McLorin Salvant, who was recently honoured at the Grammys, is the first artist confirmed to perform at the event and will showcase material from her 2017 release 'Dreams and Daggers'. The US powerhouse vocalist has been nominated for two awards this year under the categories of International Jazz Act of the Year and Album of the Year, with the latter decided by public vote.   

The recipients of the special award categories - PPL Lifetime Achievement Award, PRS For Music Gold Award and Impact Award - will be announced ahead of the ceremony. In previous years, these special award-winners have included Oscar-winning film director Damien Chazelle, Georgie Fame, Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter and the late Hugh Masekela.

Public voting is open now for three categories at www.jazzfmawards.com and will close on Monday 2nd April.

The Jazz FM Awards 2018 is a partnership between Jazz FM and Serious and is made possible with the support of Mishcon de Reya, PPL, PRS For Music, Rathbones, Oris Watches, Grange Hotels, Lateralize, Arqiva, Yamaha, RCS, Shoreditch Town Hall, Cambridge Audio, Denbies Wine Estate, Warsteiner, Sharpstream and British Airways.

Full list of 2018 Nominees:

Breakthrough Act of the Year

Ezra Collective
Nubya Garcia
Rob Luft

Soul Artist of the Year
Sponsored by RCS 

Jordan Rakei
Leroy Hutson
Moonchild

UK Jazz Act of the Year (Public Vote)
Sponsored by Cambridge Audio

Dinosaur
Ezra Collective
Kansas Smitty’s House Band

Digital Initiative of the Year

Esperanza Spalding: Exposure
Jacob Collier: I Harm U
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club: Live Streaming

Instrumentalist of the Year
Sponsored by Grange Hotels

Evan Parker
Theon Cross
Yazz Ahmed

Blues Artist of the Year

Lucky Peterson
Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
Robert Cray

Jazz Innovation of the Year
Sponsored by Mishcon de Reya

Carleen Anderson: Cage Street Memorial
Joe Armon-Jones and Maxwell Owin: Idiom
Shabaka Hutchings

Vocalist of the Year
Sponsored by Lateralize

Alice Zawadzki
Liane Carroll
Zara McFarlane

International Jazz Artist of the Year
Sponsored by Oris Watches

Cécile McLorin Salvant
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Thundercat

Album of the Year (Public Vote)
Sponsored by Arqiva

Blue Note All-Stars – Our Point of View
Cécile McLorin Salvant – Dreams and Daggers
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – Diaspora
Denys Baptiste – The Late Trane
Phronesis – The Behemoth
Thundercat – Drunk

Live Experience of the Year (Public Vote)
Sponsored by Rathbones

A Concert for Alice and John - Pharoah Sanders Quartet, Denys Baptiste and Alina Bzhezhinska – EFG London Jazz Festival at The Barbican
An evening with Dave Holland – Ambleside Days Festival at Zephirellis Cinema
Jazz Re:Fest at Southbank Centre
Makaya McCraven featuring Theon Cross Trio and Jaimie Branch Fly or Die Ensemble - CHICAGOXLONDON Day 1 at Total Refreshment Centre
Randolph Matthews – Jazz in the Round at Love Supreme Festival
Ronnie Scott’s presents Ezra Collective – EFG London Jazz Festival at Islington Assembly Hall   

PPL Lifetime Achievement Award

TBA

Impact Award

TBA

PRS For Music Gold Award

TBA