2021 Historic Recordings of the Year nominees
These are the finalist nominees for Performance and Recordings for the 2021 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 2020, with the exception of Lifetime Achievement Awards categories, in which nominations are for a lifetime body of work.
Nominees
Lifetime Achievement in Jazz
Roscoe Mitchell
Charles Lloyd
Pharoah Sanders
Ron Carter
Jazz Musician of the Year
Terri Lyne Carrington
Maria Schneider
Charles Lloyd
William Parker
Up & Coming Musician of the Year
Emmet Cohen
Nubya Garcia
Immanuel Wilkins
Lakecia Benjamin
Composer of the Year
Carla Bley
Ingrid Laubrock
Rob Mazurek
Ambrose Akinmusire
Maria Schneider
Arranger of the Year
John Beasley
Maria Schneider
Jacob Garchik
Record of the Year
Data Lords, by Maria Schneider Orchestra (ArtistShare)
On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment, by Ambrose Akinmusire (Blue Note Records)
Hero Trio, by Rudresh Mahanthappa (Whirlwind Recordings)
8: Kindred Spirits (Live From the Lobero), by Charles Lloyd (Blue Note Records)
Swallow Tales, by John Scofield (ECM Records)
Historical Record of the Year
Palo Alto, by Thelonious Monk (Impulse! Records)
Rollins in Holland, by Sonny Rollins (Resonance Records)
Just Coolin’, by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (Blue Note Records)
@ Bremen 1964 & 1975 , by Charles Mingus- (Sunnyside Records)
The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings, by Paul Desmond (Mosaic Records)
The Lost Berlin Tapes, by Ella Fitzgerald (Verve Records)
Record Label of the Year
Blue Note Records
Mack Avenue Records
Resonance Records
Pi Recordings
ECM Records
Sunnyside Records
Male Vocalist of the Year
Kurt Elling
Dwight Trible
Theo Bleckmann
Gregory Porter
Female Vocalist of the Year
Veronica Swift
Jazzmeia Horn
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Sara Serpa
Thana Alexa
NEW!Vocal Group of the Year
The Royal Bopsters
Duchess
säje
Manhattan Transfer
New York Voices
Large Ensemble of the Year
Sun Ra Arkestra
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra
John Beasley MONK’estra
Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Midsize Ensemble of the Year
Artemis
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels
Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl
Shabaka and the Ancestors
Thumbscrew
Carla Bley Trio
NEW!Duo of the Year
Angelica Sanchez & Marilyn Crispell
Brandee Younger & Dezron Douglas
Ingrid Laubrock & Tom Rainey
Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan
Michael Musillami & Peter Madsen
Trumpeter of the Year
Christian Scott aTundé Adjuah
Ambrose Akinmusire
Ron Miles
Jeremy Pelt
Trombonist of the Year
Michael Dease
Ryan Keberle
Wycliffe Gordon
Marshall Gilkes
NEW!Brass Specialist of the Year
Theon Cross
Bob Stewart
Howard Johnson
Steven Bernstein
Alto Saxophonist of the Year
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Immanuel Wilkins
Lakecia Benjamin
Miguel Zenón
Gary Bartz
Tim Berne
Tenor Saxophonist of the Year
Charles Lloyd
JD Allen
Joe Lovano
Joshua Redman
Baritone Saxophonist of the Year
Brian Landrus
Lauren Sevian
Scott Robinson
Claire Daly
Gary Smulyan
Soprano Saxophonist of the Year
Jane Ira Bloom
Branford Marsalis
Sam Newsome
Clarinetist of the Year
Evan Christopher
Anat Cohen
Ken Peplowski
Ben Goldberg
Muli-Reeds Player of the Year
Anna Webber
Ted Nash
Scott Robinson
Flutist of the Year
Jamie Baum
Charles Lloyd
Nicole Mitchell
Guitarist of the Year
Bill Frisell
Mary Halvorson
Pat Metheny
Peter Bernstein
Jeff Parker
Bassist of the Year
Christian McBride
Linda May Han Oh
Dave Holland
William Parker
Eric Revis
NEW!Electric Bassist of the Year
Steve Swallow
Derrick Hodge
John Patitucci
Thundercat
Trevor Dunn
Luke Stewart
Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello or Harp Player of the Year
Brandee Younger
Tomeka Reid
Regina Carter
Mark Feldman
Pianist of the Year
Kris Davis
Brad Mehldau
Carla Bley
Matthew Shipp
Keyboardists of the Year
Craig Taborn
Joey DeFrancesco
Chick Corea
Gary Versace
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Percussionist of the Year
Cyro Baptista
Zakir Hussain
Pedrito Martinez
Adam Rudolph
Roman Diáz
Mallet Instrumentalist of the Year
Joe Locke
Patricia Brennan
Warren Wolf
Joel Ross
Chris Dingman
Drummer of the Year
Brian Blade
Johnathan Blake
Eric Harland
Terri Lyne Carrington
Tyshawn Sorey
Player of the Year of Instruments Rare in Jazz
Grégoire Maret, harmonica
Brandee Younger, harp
Susan Alcorn, pedal steel guitar
NEW!Electronics Specialist of the Year
Ikue Mori
Rob Mazurek
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Kassa Overall
Jim Baker
Val Jeanty
If you are a 2021 Nominee, or a 2021 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 welcome coverage and commentary on the list, of course, 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
MORE 2021 NOMINEES
2021 Nominees for Journalism and Media
These are the finalist nominees for Journalism the 2021 JJA Jazz Awards. Nominees in most categories were chosen by the votes...
Read more2021 SPONSORS
