Nominations announced for the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2025
Press Release
Nominations announced for the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2025
The nominations have today been announced for the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. The Awards, are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) and supported by the Musicians’ Union and UK Music. The recipients of the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards will be announced on Tuesday 14th October 2025 at the World Heart Beat The Parliamentary Awards celebrate and recognise the vibrancy, diversity, breadth and talent of the jazz scene throughout the United Kingdom.
The award categories reflect the ever-increasing scope of talent from within the UK’s jazz scene: Jazz Vocalist of the Year; Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year; Jazz Album of the Year; Jazz Ensemble of the Year; Jazz Newcomer of the Year; Jazz Venue of the Year; Jazz Media Award; Jazz Education Award; and the Services to Jazz Award.
Following the online public vote for the Awards, the shortlist was then voted upon by a selection panel, that represent a broad cross-section of backgrounds united in their passion and knowledge of jazz. The winners, chosen by members of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG), will be announced on Tuesday 14th October 2025.
Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of APPJG, said: “These awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the talents and energies of the great musicians, educators, promoters, record labels, jazz organisations, blogs, jazz magazines and journalists who help keep jazz flourishing. These shortlists demonstrate the wealth of talent and commitment that exists in the British jazz scene. Now in its 20th year, the Parliamentary Jazz Awards honour the best of British jazz. MPs and Peers in the All Party Group are grateful to the Musicians’ Union and UK Music for supporting the event.”
“The Musicians’ Union is proud to support the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards,” said Naomi Pohl, General Secretary of the MU. “This year’s shortlist showcases the phenomenal jazz talent thriving across the UK, as well as the vibrant communities that support them in every nation and region. Congratulations to all the nominees on their well-deserved recognition.”
Tom Kiehl Chief Executive of UK Music said: “The Parliamentary Jazz Awards have a rich history, with this year promising to deliver another fantastic chapter. UK Music is proud to support the many great achievements from across the jazz community over the past year, and congratulates all those who will be celebrated on 14 October.”
The Awards are supported by the Musicians’ Union who are a community of over 36,000 musicians working to protect their members’ rights and campaign for a fairer music industry. And further support is provided by UK Music which is the collective voice of the UK’s world-leading music industry. They represent all sectors of the UK music industry – bringing them together to collaborate, campaign, and champion music.
The full list of nominees is as follows:
Jazz Vocalist of the Year
Zara McFarlane
Brigitte Beraha
Alice Zawadzki
Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year
Janette Mason
Jasper Hoiby
Rob Luft
Jazz Album of the Year
Ezra Collective
‘Dance, No One’s Watching’
John Surman
‘Words Unspoken’
Daniel Casimir
‘Balance’
Billy Marrows
‘Penelope’
Jazz Ensemble of the Year
Ezra Collective
Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band
The Banger Factory
Jazz Newcomer of the Year
Olivia Cuttill
Maddy Coombs
Donovan Haffner
Knats
Jazz Venue of the Year
606
Soul Mama
Marianne Windham – Guildford Jazz
Digbeth Jazz
Jazz Media Award
Richard Williams
‘Round Midnight and Soweto Kinch – Folded Wing production for BBC Radio 3
One Jazz
Jazz Education Award
Tomorrows’ Warriors
Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra
World Heart Beat
Services to Jazz Award
Marianne Windham
Danielle White
Chris Philips
Ends
17th August 2025
The awards are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG), co-chaired ”. by Chi Onwurah MP and Lord Mann.
Notes to the Editor
The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) currently has over 70 members from the House of Commons and House of Lords across all political parties. Their aim is to encourage wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the jazz industry and issues surrounding it, to promote jazz as a musical form and to raise its profile inside and outside Parliament. The Group’s officers as at the Inaugural Meeting on 23rd July 2024 are the Chair, Chi Onwurah MP and Deputy Chair, Lord Mann. The Officers are Jo White MP and Lord Crathorne with additional elected members, Neil Duncan-Jordan MP, Lord Spellar and Sarah Champion MP.
Recent reports can be seen here:
Submission to the open consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence from Chris Hodgkins
Review of Jazz in England March 2025
State of Play: submission to the Culture Media and Sport committee
ACE Review a response from the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group
The Secretary is Chris Hodgkins with the assistance of Simon Jennings and Will Riley-Smith of NorthPoint Strategy and Andrew Lansley. The Secretary operates on a strictly pro bono basis and no expenses of any kind are paid to the Secretary. The contact address is: admin@appjag.org and the website is https://appjag.org/