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Ezra Collective, Michael Kiwanuka, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka, Meshell Ndegeocello, Samara Joy, Jalen Ngonda Among Nominees For Jazz FM Awards 2025 with PPL and PRS for Music.

The Jazz FM Awards will take place at KOKO in London on April 24th 2025

The 2025 Jazz FM Awards, presented in collaboration with PPL and PRS for Music, have unveiled this year’s nominees. Recognized as one of the most prestigious events in the jazz world, the awards celebrate both emerging and established talent, highlighting the genre’s ongoing evolution and innovation. The ceremony is set to take place on Thursday April 24th 2025 at KOKO in North London.

The 2025 nominees feature a dynamic mix of pioneering artists and rising stars. UK trailblazers Ezra Collective, who made history in 2023 as the first jazz group to win the Mercury Prize, are nominated in two categories. The quintet’s genre-blurring sound has earned them widespread critical acclaim along with a Brit Award at last week’s ceremony, solidifying their place as one of the UK’s most influential contemporary acts. Also among this year’s nominees are British sax star Nubya Garcia, celebrated singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka, one of the world’s great jazz vocalists Samara Joy, the pioneering UK multi-instrumentalist Shabaka, rising contemporary soul sensation Jalen Ngonda, multi-talented singer and ECM recording artist Alice Zawadzki, and the Mercury-nominated corto.alto.

Beyond the competitive categories, the Jazz FM Awards also shine a spotlight on artists whose careers have left a lasting imprint on the world of jazz. The winners of the highly esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award, Gold Award, and Impact Award will be announced in the coming weeks. These awards recognize individuals who have not only shaped jazz history but continue to inspire new generations of musicians and audiences.

Nick Pitts, Content Director of Jazz FM and Magic Classical said:

“I’m very grateful to all those in the industry who contributed the longlist and to our panel of judges for creating such a creatively diverse list of nominees. This is a true reflection of the class of 2025 covering off the great and the good of the jazz, soul and blues world today. The Jazz FM Awards with PPL and PRS for Music ceremony this year will surely provide a defining moment in the genre with such a superb selection behind the winners that will be announced then. Good luck to all of our nominees!”

Since its inception in 2013, the Jazz FM Awards has recognised the achievements of jazz artists at every stage of their careers. Over the years, the event has paid tribute to some of music’s most legendary figures, including Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Dame Cleo Laine, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Pat Metheny, The Rolling Stones, Jools Holland, Georgie Fame, and Ahmad Jamal, as well as honouring contemporary stars of the genre including Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Jacob Collier and Robert Glasper. By celebrating both heritage and innovation, the awards continue to reinforce jazz’s relevance in
contemporary music culture.

Jazz FM Awards 2025 with PPL and PRS for Music

Nominees List

UK JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR – PUBLIC VOTE
Sponsored by: Rathbones

corto.alto
Ezra Collective
Nubya Garcia

ALBUM OF THE YEAR – PUBLIC VOTE

Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado – Za Górami
Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching
Meshell Ndegeocello – No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin
Nubya Garcia – Odyssey
Samara Joy – Portrait
Shabaka – Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace

BREAKTHROUGH ACT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by: Arts Council England

Mama Terra
Ni Maxine
Sultan Stevenson

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority

Lakecia Benjamin
Meshell Ndegeocello
Samara Joy

VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by: Sounds from Spain by ICEX

Alice Zawadzki
Bryony Jarman-Pinto
Lucy-Anne Daniels

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR

corto.alto
Emma Rawicz
Mark Kavuma

SOUL ACT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by: Oanda

Allysha Joy
Jalen Ngonda
Michael Kiwanuka

BLUES ACT OF THE YEAR

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Shemekia Copeland
Toby Lee

THE INNOVATION AWARD
Sponsored by: Mishcon de Reya

corto.alto
Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band
Orii

THE COLLABORATION AWARD – NEW FOR 2025

Queer Jazz
Take Five by Serious
Women in Jazz