2015 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award Winners Announced

The 19th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award winners have been unveiled.

The winners were selected through two rounds of voting by members of the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA). They first analyzed the work of well-known jazz artists throughout the 2014 calendar year to select the award nominees before starting a second voting round that determined the winners of each award category.

The aim of JJA’s Jazz Awards is to recognize meaningful contributions to jazz music and journalism, as well as excellence in jazz performance and composition.

Winners of the musical categories, detailed below, will be presented with their awards at one of their upcoming concerts. Media/Journalism award winners will have to wait until June 16 to find out if they won at the JJA Media Awards party on June 16 at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City.

JJA Jazz Award Winners:

Lifetime Achievement In Jazz

Randy Weston – Winner!
Charles Lloyd
Chick Corea

Musician Of The Year

Jason Moran – Winner!
Ambrose Akinmusire
Chick Corea

Up And Coming Artist Of The Year

Cecile McLorin Salvant – Winner!
Ambrose Akinmusire
David Virelles
Melissa Aldana
Warren Wolf

Composer Of The Year

Wadada Leo Smith – Winner!
Ambrose Akinmusire
Arturo O’Farrill
Henry Threadgill
Maria Schneider
Tom Harrell
Vijay Iyer

Arranger Of The Year

Maria Schneider – Winner!
Billy Childs
Ryan Truesdell
The Bad Plus

Record Of The Year

Kenny Barron & Dave Holland – ‘The Art Of Conversation’  – Winner!
Jason Moran – ‘All Rise’
The Bad Plus – ‘The Rite Of Spring’

Historical Record Of The Year

Miles Davis – ‘Miles At The Fillmore (Miles Davis Bootleg Series Vol 3)’ – Winner!
Charles Lloyd – ‘Manhattan Stories’
John Coltrane – ‘Offering: Live At Temple University’

Record Label/Platform Of The Year

Motema Music – Winner!
Blue Note
Ecm
Mack Avenue

Male Vocalist Of The Year

Gregory Porter – Winner!
Andy Bey
Kurt Elling

Female Vocalist Of The Year

Cecile McLorin Salvant – Winner!
Cassandra Wilson
Cyrille Aimee
Dianne Reeves

Large Ensemble Of The Year

Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Winner!
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

Midsize Ensemble

Wayne Shorter Quartet – Winner!
Henry Butler/Steven Bernstein & The Hot 9
Steve Lehman Octet

Trio Or Duo

Kenny Barron & Dave Holland – Winner!
Fred Hersch Trio
The Bad Plus
Vijay Iyer Trio

Trumpeter Of The Year

Ambrose Akinmusire – Winner!
Terence Blanchard
Wadada Leo Smith

Trombonist Of The Year

Steve Turre – Winner!
Conrad Herwig
Wycliffe Gordon

Multi-Reeds Player Of The Year

Anat Cohen – Winner!
James Carter
Roscoe Mitchell
Scott Robinson

Alto Saxophonist Of The Year

Miguel Zenon – Winner!
Kenny Garrett
Lee Konitz
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Steve Lehman

Tenor Saxophonist Of The Year**

Chris Potter – Winner!
Joe Lovano
Mark Turner
**Sonny Rollins was named Emeritus, beyond voting, Tenor Saxophonist Of The Year in 2013.

Baritone Saxophonist Of The Year

Gary Smulyan – Winner!
Claire Daly
Ronnie Cuber

Soprano Saxophonist Of The Year

Jane Ira Bloom – Winner!
Branford Marsalis
Dave Liebman
Sam Newsome
Wayne Shorter

Flutist Of The Year

Nicole Mitchell – Winner!
Charles Lloyd
Henry Threadgill
Jamie Baum

Clarinetist Of The Year

Anat Cohen – Winner!
Ben Goldberg
Ken Peploswki
Paquito D’Rivera

Guitarist Of The Year

Mary Halvorson – Winner!
Bill Frisell
Pat Metheny
Russell Malone

Pianist Of The Year

Kenny Barron – Winner!
Chick Corea
Fred Hersch
Jason Moran
Matthew Shipp
Vijay Iyer

Keyboards Player Of The Year

Chick Corea – Winner!
John Medeski
Larry Goldings

Bassist Of The Year

Christian Mcbride – Winner!
Dave Holland
Ron Carter

Violinist/Violist/Cellist Of The Year

Regina Carter – Winner!
Jenny Scheinman
Mark Feldman

Percussionist Of The Year

Pedrito Martinez – Winner!
Bobby Sanabria
Cyro Baptista
Poncho Sanchez
Sammy Figueroa
Zakir Hussain

Mallets Instrumentalist Of The Year

Warren Wolf – Winner!
Bobby Hutcherson
Jason Adasiewicz
Joe Locke
Stefon Harris

Traps Drummer Of The Year

Brian Blade – Winner!
Eric Harland
Matt Wilson

Player Of Instruments Rare In Jazz

Edmar Castaneda (Harp) – Winner!
Gregoire Maret (Harmonica)
Hendrik Meurkens (Harmonica)
Steve Turre (Shells)

A huge congratulations to each of this year’s JJA award winners!