APPJAG Parliament Jazz Award Nominees Announced

The nominees for the 2015 APPJAG Parliamentary Jazz Awards have been announced featuring a number from the Northern jazz scene.

Scarborough's Mike Gordon has been nominated for the Services to Jazz Award, and Manchester Jazz Festival is up for venue of the year. LCoM alumnus Phil Meadows also received a nomination for Ensemble of the Year for his newly formed Engines Orchestra and Tim Garland, who mentored Phil and Engines Orchestra during the recording of their debut album, received a nominated for album of the year.

The ceremony will take place at the House of Commons on March 10th, presented by Moira Stewart and featuring performances from James Pearson and the Ronnie Scott All Stars.

Full List of Nominees

Vocalist of the Year: Georgia Mancio, Norma Winstone, Alice Zawadski, Zara MacFarlane
Instrumentalist of the Year: Laura Jurd, Jason Yarde, Phil Robson
Album of the Year: 'Swamp' - Partisans, 'Circularity' - Julian Arguelles, 'Songs to the North Sky' Tim Garland
Ensemble of the Year: Engines Orchestra, Loose Tubes, Partisans
Newcomer of the Year: Blue Eyed Hawk, Elliot Galvin, Peter Edwards
Venue of the Year: Manchester Jazz Festival, Spice of Life, St Ives Jazz Club
Jazz Media Award: Jazz on 3, LondonJazzNews, The Jazz Breakfast
Jazz Educator of the Year: Dr Tommy Smith, NYJO, Simon Purcell
Services to Jazz Award: Mike Gordon, Evan Parker, Chris Hodgkins

Voting Open for APPJAG Jazz Awards

Voting is now open for the 2015 APPJAG Jazz Awards. Due to the May 2015 election, the jazz awards have been moved forward and the winners ceremony will take place in London on March 10th 2015.

The first round of voting, open to the public, covers all 11 categories (including ensemble of the year, album of year etc) and will contribute to the shortlist produced and given to a panel to decide on the winners.

Votes are cast online and close on December 12th 2014.

APPJAG Jazz Award Voting Form.

APPJAG Jazz Award Winners Announced

                                                Phil Meadows, Newcomer of the Year winner


The winners of the 2014 APPJAG Parliamentary Jazz Awards were announced last night at a ceremony in London and the North was well represented with winners in three catergories.

Phil Meadows (pictured above), graduate of Chethams School of Music and LCoM picked up Newcomer of the Year, while clarinettist and composer Arun Ghosh went home with Instrumentalist f the Year. Ben Cottrell was there to accept the Large Ensemble of the Year award on behalf of his group, Beats + Pieces.

Congratulations to all the winners from all at NJN.

NYJC's Issie Barratt, who received Educator of the Year Award from Lord David Steel and Jon Newey, Jazzwise, made this request to musicians present to consider making it easier for young people to attend jazz gigs.