Congratulations to all the winners of the 24th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards listed below. Professional journalist members of the JJA made open nominations in a first-selection round; those who received the most nominations advanced to the finalists’ ballot, and JJA’s professional members voted on them to arrive at these honorees.
Topping the list of Awards recipients are Ahmad Jamal for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz, Wayne Shorter for Musician of the Year, Linda May Han Oh Benjamin for Up and Coming Artist of the Year, Westside Story Reimagined by the Bobby Sanabria Multiunivercse Big Band as Record of the Year, Kurt Elling for Male Vocalist of the Year and Cécile McLorin Salvant for Female Vocalist of the Year.
Our congratulations, as well, to all the 2019 Nominees for Performance Performance & Recording in all categories. And please click the photos to expand them — some wonderful images here reward much larger presentation.
Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz
AHMAD JAMAL
NEA Jazz Master, jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, educator
Nominees: Ron Carter, Chick Corea, Harold Mabern, Pharoah Sanders
Musician of the Year
WAYNE SHORTER
NEA Jazz Master, saxophonist, composer
Nominees: Mary Halvorson, Christian McBride, Cécile McLorin Salvant
Up & Coming Musician of the Year
LINDA MAY HAN OH
Bassist, composer
Nominees: James Brandon Lewis, Makaya McCraven, Joel Ross, Christian Sands
Composer of the Year
WAYNE SHORTER
NEA Jazz Master, jazz saxophonist, composer
Nominees: Satoko Fujii, Myra Melford, Maria Schneider, Wadada Leo Smith
Arranger of the Year
MARIA SCHNEIDER
NEA Jazz Master, composer, orchestra leader
Nominees: Miho Hazama, Michael Leonhart, Jim McNeely
Record of the Year
WESTSIDE STORY REIMAGINED
Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band (Jazzheads)
Nominees: Sonic Creed Stefon Harris and Blackout (Motema); Vanished Gardens Charles Lloyd and the Marvels with Lucinda Williams (Blue Note Records); Universal Beings Makaya McCraven (International Anthem ); The Window Cécile McLorin Salvant (Mack Avenue Records); Emanon Wayne Shorter (Blue Note Records)
Historical Record of the Year
BOTH DIRECTIONS AT ONCE: THE LOST ALBUM
John Coltrane (Impulse!/Verve)
Nominees: Miles Davis and John Coltrane, The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy); Eric Dolphy – Musical Prophet (Resonance Records)
Record Label of the Year
ECM
Nominees: Blue Note Records, HighNote/Savant Records, Pi Recordings, Resonance Records, Sunnyside Records
Male Vocalist of the Year
KURT ELLING
Jazz vocalist, songwriter
Photo by Anna Webber
Nominees: José James, Gregory Porter
Female Vocalist of the Year
CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT
Vocalist, composer, visual artist
Photo by Hector Perez
Nominees: Cyrille Aimee, Jazzmeia Horn
Large Ensemble of the Year
ORRIN EVANS AND THE CAPTAIN BLACK BIG BAND
Orrin Evans: piano; Luques Curtis: bass; Eric Revis: bass; Madison Rast: bass; Mark Whitfield Jr.: drums; Anwar Marshall: drums; Thomas Marriott: trumpet; Josh Lawrence: trumpet; Sean Jones: trumpet; Caleb Wheeler Curtis: saxophone, alto; Troy Roberts: saxophone; Immanuel Wilkins: saxophone; Todd Bashore: saxophone, alto; David Gibson: trombone; Stafford Hunter: trombone; Reggie Watkins: trombone; Stacy Dillard: saxophone; Jason Brown: drums; Joseph Block: keyboards; Dylan Reis: bass.
Nominees: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band, Darcy James Argue Secret Society, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Maria Schneider Orchestra
Mid-Size Ensemble of the Year
WAYNE SHORTER QUARTET
Brian Blade, Danilo Perez, Wayne Shorter, Brian Patitucci
Photo by Eric Gannett
Nominees: Fred Hersch Trio, Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, Thumbscrew
Trumpeter of the Year
INGRID JENSEN
Jazz trumpeter
Nominees: Ambrose Akinmusire, Terence Blanchard, Dave Douglas, Kirk Knuffke, Jeremy Pelt, Wadada Leo Smith
Trombonist of the Year
WYCLIFFE GORDON
Jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and educator
Nominees: Michael Dease, Marshall Gilkes, Steve Turre
Multiple Reeds Player of the Year
SCOTT ROBINSON
Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, alto clarinetist, flutist, trumpeter, sarrusophonist
Photo by Buc Glick
Nominees: Anthony Braxton, James Carter, Roscoe Mitchell, Steve Wilson
Alto Saxophonist of the Year
MIGUEL ZENÓN
Saxophonist, composer, band leader, producer, and educator
Photo by Jimmy Katz
Nominees: Steve Coleman, Tia Fuller, Steve Wilson
Tenor Saxophonist of the Year
CHRIS POTTER
Saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist
Nominees: Wayne Shorter, Mark Turner
Baritone Saxophonist of the Year
GARY SUMLYAN
Jazz saxophonist
Nominees: Ronnie Cuber, Lisa Parrott, Scott Robinson, Lauren Sevian
Soprano Saxophonist of the Year
JANE IRA BLOOM
Jazz saxophonist, composer
Photo by Lucy Gram
Nominees: Jane Bunnett, Dave Liebman, Wayne Shorter
Flutist of the Year
NICOLE MITCHELL
Jazz flutiest, composer, educator
Nominees: Jamie Baum, Andrea Brachfeld, Charles Lloyd
Clarinetist of the Year
ANAT COHEN
Jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader
Photo by Shervin Lainez
Nominees: Don Byron, Eddie Daniels, Ben Goldberg, Ken Peplowski
Guitarist of the Year
BILL FRISELL
Guitarist, composer, arranger
Nominees: Mary Halvorson, Julian Lage, Miles Okazaki, John Scofield
Pianist of the Year
KENNY BARRON
NEA Jazz Master, pianist, composter, educator
Nominees: Fred Hersch, Myra Melford, Christian Sands, Craig Taborn
Keyboardist of the Year
DR. LONNIE SMITH
Jazz Hammond B3 organist
Photo by Mark Sheldon
Nominees: Chick Corea, Joey DeFrancesco, Herbie Hancock
Bassist of the Year
LINDA MAY HAN OH
Bassist, composer
Nominees: Dave Holland, Christian McBride
Strings Player of the Year
TOMEKA REID
Jazz cellist, composer, educator
Photo by Tony Smith
Nominees: Regina Carter, Jenny Scheinman
Percussionist of the Year
PEDRITO MARTINEZ
Percussionist, drummer, singer, dancer, bandleader, songwriter, composer, educator
Photo by Michael Weintrob
Nominees: Cyro Baptista, Zakir Hussain
Mallet Player of the Year
JOE LOCKE
Jazz vibraphonist
Nominees: Stefon Harris, Warren Wolf
Drummer of the Year
Brian Blade
Jazz drummer, composer, singer-songwriter.
Nominees: Andrew Cyrille, Jack DeJohnette, Eric Harland, Roy Haynes, Antonio Sánchez
Player of Rare Instruments in Jazz
SCOTT ROBINSON
Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, alto clarinetist, flutist, trumpeter, sarrusophonist
Photo by Buc Glick
Nominees: Greg Leisz (dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel); Grégoire Maret(harmonica); Hendrik Meurkens (harmonica); Brandee Younger (harp)
2019 Winners forJournalism & Media
2019 Winners in Jazz Journalism
Congratulations to all the winners of the 24th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards for Journalism. Professional journalist members of...
Read morePast Award Winners forPerformance & Recordings
2019 AWARDSSPONSORS
