Congratulations to the 2025 Winners for Jazz Performance and Recordings, of the 30th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards. 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.
Our congratulations, of course, to all the 2025 Nominees for 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
GEORGE COLEMAN
Tenor Saxophonist
Nominees: Joe Lovano, Wadada Leo Smith
Musician of the Year
MARSHALL ALLEN
NEA Jazz Master, saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist
Photo by Melanie Mor
Nominees: Lakecia Benjamin, Charles Lloyd, Tyshawn Sorey
Up & Coming Musician of the Year
ISAIAH COLLIER
Saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist
Nominees: Patricia Brennan, Zaccai Curtis, Sarah Hanahan
Composer of the Year
MYRA MELFORD
Composer, pianist
Photo by Bryan Murray
Nominees: Darcy James Argue, Vijay Iyer, Maria Schneider
Arranger of the Year
MARIA SCHNEIDER
Composer, large ensemble leader
Photo by Greg Helgeson
Nominees: Darcy James Argue, John Beasley
Record of the Year
THE SKY WILL STILL BE THERE TOMORROW
Charles Lloyd (Blue Note Records)
Nominees: Poly Tropos/Of Many Turns, Steve Coleman (Pi Recordings); Cubop Lives!, Zaccai Curtis (Truth Records); Run the Gauntlet, Kris Davis (Pyroclastic Records); Walk a Mile in My Shoe, Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band (Imani Records)
Historical Record of the Year
FORCES OF NATURE - LIVE AT SLUGS'
McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson (Blue Note Records)
Nominees: The Carnegie Hall Concert, Alice Coltrane (Impulse! Records); Grande-Terre Roy Hargrove’s Crisol (Verve); Freedom Weaver, Sonny Rollins (Resonance Records)
Record Label of the Year
BLUE NOTE RECORDS
Nominees: Pi Recordings, Pyroclastic Records, Resonance Records, Sunnyside Records
Male Vocalist of the Year
KURT ELLING
Vocalist, songwriter
Nominees: Theo Bleckmann, José James, Michael Mayo, Gregory Porter
Female Vocalist of the Year
CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT
Vocalist, songwriter
Nominees: Jazzmeia Horn, Samara Joy, Catherine Russell
Duo of the Year
CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT, vocals and SULLIVAN FORTNER, piano
Nominees: Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Hamilton de Holanda, Wadada Leo Smith and Amina Claudine Myers
Mid-Size Ensemble of the Year
ARTEMIS
Bandmembers: Noriko Ueda, Nicole Glover, Allison Miller, Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen
Nominees: Vijay Iyer Trio, Charles Lloyd Quartet, Branford Marsalis Quartet, Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble
Large Ensemble of the Year
MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCHESTRA
Photo by Andrea Canter
Nominees: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Sun Ra Arkestra
Trumpeter of the Year
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE
Trumpeter, composer
Nominees: Dave Douglas, Brian Lynch, Wadada Leo Smith
Trombonist of the Year
STEVE TURRE
Trombonist, composer, educator
Nominees: Steve Davis, Michael Dease, Ryan Keberle
Brass Specialist of the Year
BOB STEWART
Tuba player, educator
Nominees: Jose Davila (tuba and trombone), Marcus Rojas (tuba), William Roper (tuba)
Alto Saxophonist of the Year
IMMANUEL WILKINS
Saxophonist, composer, arranger
Nominees: Lakecia Benjamin, Steve Coleman, Charles McPherson, Miguel Zenón
Tenor Saxophonist of the Year
JOE LOVANO
Saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer
Photo by Aquapio Films
Nominees: Isaiah Collier, James Brandon Lewis, Charles Lloyd, Chris Potter
Baritone Saxophonist of the Year
JAMES CARTER
Saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer
Nominees: Alex Harding, Brian Landrus, Scott Robinson, Gary Smulyan
Soprano Saxophonist of the Year
BRANFORD MARSALIS
Saxophonist, composer, bandleader
Photo by Mark Sheldon
Nominees: Jane Ira Bloom, Jane Bunnett, Jon Irabagon, Sam Newsome
Multiple Reeds Player of the Year
CHRIS POTTER
Saxophonist, composer, bandleader
Nominees: Roscoe Mitchell, Scott Robinson
Clarinetist of the Year
ANAT COHEN
Clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader
Photo by Shervin Lainez
Nominees: Ben Goldberg, Mike McGinnis, Ken Peplowski, Jason Stein
Flutist of the Year
NICOLE MITCHELL
Flutist, composer, educator
Nominees: Jamie Baum, Charles Lloyd, Elena Pinderhughes
Guitarist of the Year
MARY HALVORSON
Guitarist, composer, ensemble leader
Photo by Michael Wilson
Nominees: Peter Bernstein, Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, Pat Metheny
Strings Player of the Year
TOMEKA REID
Cellist, composer, educator
Photo by Michael Jackson
Nominees: Regina Carter, Mark Feldman, Jenny Scheinman, Brandee Younger
Pianist of the Year
KENNY BARRON
Pianist, composer, bandleader
Photo by John Sann
Nominees: Kris Davis, Brad Mehldau, Jason Moran, Renee Rosnes, Matthew Shipp
Keyboardist of the Year
HERBIE HANCOCK
Pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer, educator, chairman of Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
Photo by Melanie Mor
Nominees: Brian Charette James Francies, Robert Glasper, Craig Taborn
Bassist of the Year
LINDA MAY HAN OH
Bassist, composer, educator
Photo by Shervin Lainez
Nominees: Ron Carter, Christian McBride, William Parker, John Patitucci
Electric Bassist of the Year
JOHN PATITUCCI
Bassist, guitarist, composer
Nominees: Stanley Clarke, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Meshell Ndegeocello
Percussionist of the Year
KAHIL EL'ZABAR
Percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, ensemble leader
Photo by Sheldon Levy
Nominees: Cyro Baptista, Hamid Drake, Pedrito Martinez
Mallet Percussionist
PATRICIA BRENNAN
Vibraphonist, percussionist, composer
Photo by Noel Brennan
Nominees: Sasha Berliner, Joe Locke, Joel Ross, Warren Wolf
Drummer of the Year
BRIAN BLADE
Drummer, composer, singer-songwriter
Daniel Sheehan
Nominees: Johnathan Blake, Terri Lyne Carrington, Eric Harland, Billy Hart, Allison Miller, Tyshawn Sorey, Nasheet Waits, Matt Wilson
Player of Instruments Rare in Jazz
SUSAN ALCORN
Pedal steel guitarist, composer
Nominees: Bela Fleck, banjo; Richard Galliano, accordion; Grégoire Maret, harmonica; Gary Versace, accordion
Player of Instruments Rare in Jazz
VAL JEANTY
Electronic music composer, turntablist
Nominees: Rob Mazurek, Craig Taborn
2025 AWARDSFOR JOURNALISM & MEDIA
2025 Winners in Jazz Journalism
Congratulations to the 2025 Winners in Jazz Journalism of the 30th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards for Jazz Journalism.
Read moreVisit Jazz Journalists Association to participate as a future voting member or as a sponsor.
2025 SPONSORS
