The first Jazz Music Awards ceremony will take place in Atlanta
There is no major, large-scale jazz music awards event in North America, but there is now one that hopes to fill the void. The first Jazz Music Awards will take place on October 22, 2022 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Created and produced by Wendy F. Williams, general manager of Atlanta jazz radio station WCLK, the Jazz Music Awards include 14 award categories, including eight competitive and six honorary. The competitive awards feature 33 nominees based on work created during the eligibility period of April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The awards ceremony will also include performances by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ledisi, Lizz Wright and Jazzmeia Horn, under the musical direction of Terri Lyne Carrington.
The nominees and honorary recipients are listed below. More information and tickets are available on the Jazz Music Awards website.
Life Achievement Award: Wayne Shorter
Jazz Innovation Award: Ambroise Akinmusire
Jazz Composer Award: Henry Threadgill
Jazz Teacher Award: Lenora Z. Helm Hammonds
Jazz Legend Award: McCoy Tyner
Jazz Impact Award: James H. Patterson
Best Mainstream Artist: (nominees)
Joey DeFrancesco more music
Kenny Garrett The sounds of the ancestors
Christian McBride & Inside Straight Live at Village Vanguard
Brandée Young somewhere different
Best Contemporary Artist: (nominees)
Brian Bromberg Some catchy music
Ben Chope SHINE!
Lindsey Webster “I Didn’t Mean It”
Ragan Whiteside “At a Glance”
Best Duo, Group or Big Band: (nominees)
The Baylor Project Generations
Jazzmeia Horn and her noble strength Dear love
Christian McBride & Inside Straight Live at Village Vanguard
Count Basie Orchestra Live at Birdland (edited by Scotty Barnhart)
Kevin Eubanks and Orrin Evans EEE (Eubanks-Evans-Experience)
Best New Jazz Artist: (nominees)
Simon Moullier Countdown
Juliet Eugenio Jump
Kazemby George I insist
Samara Joy Samara Joy
Best Vocal Performance: (nominees)
The Baylor Project Generations
Somi Dream Zenzile
Stacey Kent Songs from elsewhere
Shawn Monteiro You are the
Best Mainstream Album: (nominees)
The Baylor Project Generations
Orrin Evans The magic of today
Kenny Garrett The sounds of the ancestors
Brandée Young somewhere different
Best Contemporary Album: (nominees)
Bob Baldwin B Positive
Brian Culbertson The trilogy
Sonny Emory soul ascension
Gabriel Mark Hasselbach Mid-Century Modern Volume 3
Song of the Year: (fan vote)
Norman Brown “Back at Ya” (single)
Brian Culbertson “Feel the Love” (single)
Justin-Lee Schultz “Gruv Kid” (single)
James “PJ” Spraggins “Up From Here” (single)
