Ron Carter, Emmet Cohen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Maria Schneider claimed some of the top honours of this year’s JJA Jazz Awards.
The winners and nominees were chosen by the votes of the members of the Jazz Journalists Association.
Carrington was named musician of the year for 2021, besting fellow nominees Schneider, Charles Lloyd and William Parker. The drummer, composer, producer and educator was recently named an NEA Jazz Master, and her latest work includes the 2019 album Waiting Game with Social Science. The Jazz Journalists Association also named her drummer of the year.
Carter received JJA Jazz Awards’ lifetime achievement award. The Grammy-winning bassist has been one of the most prolific and respected jazz musicians over the last 60 years, first coming to fame with the Miles Davis Quintet and other prominent Blue Note artists. He then went on to blaze his own path, recording 60 albums as a leader in addition to countless more as a highly sought-after sideman.
Cohen won the award for up-and-coming musician of the year over other nominees Nubya Garcia, Immanuel Wilkins and last year’s winner Lakecia Benjamin. The pianist and composer released his latest album Future Stride earlier this year. That record came after the 30-year-old musician won the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz from the American Pianists Association, which landed him a $50,000 prize, a record deal with Mack Avenue and two years of career advancement services.
Schneider won four JJA Jazz Awards for composer, arranger, large ensemble and record of the year, thanks to her orchestra’s critically acclaimed and Grammy-winning album Data Lords.
Kurt Elling and Cécile McLorin Salvant claimed the awards for vocalists of the year. Ambrose Akinmusire, Wycliffe Gordon, Charles Lloyd, Anat Cohen, Bill Frisell, Linda May Han Oh and Brandee Younger were some of the winners of the award categories for each of their particular instruments.
You can see the full list of winners and nominees here.
