These are the finalist nominees for Performance and Recordings for the 2020 JJA Jazz Awards. Nominees in most categories were chosen by the votes of the Professional Journalist Members of the Jazz Journalists Association. Nominations were made on the basis of work done in calendar year 2019, with the exception of Lifetime Achievement Awards categories, in which nominations are for a lifetime body of work. Members and others were able to submit their own work for consideration in the Photo of the Year category; a committee of JJA Members chose the nominees in that category from among the submissions.
Lifetime Achievement in Jazz
Roscoe Mitchell
Charles Lloyd
Carla Bley
Eddie Palmieri
Chick Corea
Jimmy Cobb
Jazz Musician of the Year
Kris Davis
Charles Lloyd
Christian McBride
Roscoe Mitchell
Terri Lyne Carrington
Up & Coming Musician of the Year
Lakecia Benjamin
Brandee Younger
Jaimie Branch
James Brandon Lewis
Joel Ross
Composer of the Year
Roscoe Mitchell
Guillermo Klein
Miho Hazama
Kris Davis
Arranger of the Year
Miguel Zenón
Michael Leonhart
Ted Nash
Brian Lynch
Record of the Year
Sonero – The Music of Ismael Rivera, by Miguel Zenón (Miel Music)
Diatom Ribbons, by Kris Davis (Pyroclastic Records)
Glitter Wolf, by Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom (Royal Potato Family)
The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, by Branford Marsalis (Okeh)
We Are On the Edge – 50th Anniversary Celebration, by the Art Ensemble of Chicago (Pi Recordings)
Historical Record of the Year
Evans in England, by Bill Evans (Resonance Records)
Back on Indiana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Recordings, by Wes Montgomery (Resonance Records)
The Music Never Stops, by Betty Carter (Blue Engine Records)
Blue World, by John Coltrane (Verve)
Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions, by Eric Dolphy (Resonance Records)
Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936 – 1943), by Nat King Cole (Resonance Records)
Record Label of the Year
ECM
Resonance Records
Pi Recordings
Smoke Sessions Records
High Note/Savant
Male Vocalist of the Year
José James
Gregory Porter
Kurt Elling
Giacomo Gates
Female Vocalist of the Year
Veronica Swift
Jazzmeia Horn
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Sara Gazarek
Catherine Russell
Large Ensemble of the Year
Art Ensemble of Chicago 50th Anniversary
Sun Ra Arkestra
Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Anat Cohen Tentet
Midsize Ensemble of the Year
Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret
Harriet Tubman
Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Miguel Zenón Quartet
Trumpeter of the Year
Dave Douglas
Jeremy Pelt
Wadada Leo Smith
Christian Scott aTundé Adjuah
Wynton Marsalis
Brian Lynch
Trombonist of the Year
Wycliffe Gordon
Michael Dease
Ryan Keberle
Steve Swell
Muli-Reeds Player of the Year
Joe Lovano
James Carter
Roscoe Mitchell
Scott Robinson
Alto Saxophonist of the Year
Steve Lehman
Gary Bartz
Bobby Watson
Matana Roberts
Miguel Zenón
Steve Coleman
Tenor Saxophonist of the Year
Branford Marsalis
Chris Potter
Melissa Aldana
Joe Lovano
Baritone Saxophonist of the Year
Gary Smulyan
Claire Daly
Lauren Sevian
James Carter
Ronnie Cuber
Scott Robinson
Soprano Saxophonist of the Year
Jane Ira Bloom
Sam Newsome
Dave Liebman
Branford Marsalis
Flutist of the Year
Nicole Mitchell
Charles Lloyd
Jamie Baum
Elena Pinderhughes
Clarinetist of the Year
Anat Cohen
Ben Goldberg
Don Byron
Ken Peplowski
Guitarist of the Year
Mary Halvorson
Miles Okazaki
Bill Frisell
Julian Lage
John Scofield
Pianist of the Year
Gerald Clayton
Chick Corea
Kris Davis
Matthew Shipp
Myra Melford
Keyboardists of the Year
Akiko Tsuruga
Herbie Hancock
Craig Taborn
Brian Charette
Bassist of the Year
William Parker
Thomas Morgan
Christian McBride
Dave Holland
Ron Carter
Reggie Workman
Linda May Han Oh
Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello or Harp Player of the Year
Brandee Younger
Tomeka Reid
Jenny Scheinman
Percussionist of the Year
Pedrito Martinez
Adam Rudolph
Cyro Baptista
Zakir Hussain
Mallet Instrumentalist of the Year
Warren Wolf
Stefon Harris
Joel Ross
Joe Locke
Drummer of the Year
Andrew Cyrille
Allison Miller
Tyshawn Sorey
Terri Lyne Carrington
Brian Blade
Player of the Year of Instruments Rare in Jazz
Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar}
Brandee Younger (harp}
Grégoire Maret (harmonica)
Gary Versace (accordion)
Theon Cross (tuba)
Scott Robinson (reeds, brass and more)
If you are a 2020 Nominee, or a 2020 Voter, and would like a “badge” to display on your website, email Admin@jazzjournalists.org.
Note: We ask that you DO NOT cut-and-paste or copy the nominee list into your own blog or site, please link to this page instead. We, of course, welcome coverage and commentary on the list that includes some nominee names. If you blog about or report on the nominees we will be happy to link back to you; please send the URL of your blog post or report to admin@jazzjournalists.org
