BBC Jazz Awards


The BBC Jazz Awards were set up in 2001 and had the status of one of the premier jazz awards in the United Kingdom. There were awards for Best Musician, Best Vocalist, Rising Star, Best Album, Jazz Innovation, Radio 2 Jazz Artist, Services to Jazz, Best of Jazz and others.
Programmes linked to the awards were broadcast on both Radio 2 and Radio 3. In March 2009, the BBC announced that the Jazz Awards were closed. It briefly returned in 2011 as The British Jazz Awards but has not been held since.

Winners

2001

The winners were:
The winners were:
The winners were:
The winners were:
The winners were:
The winners were:
The winners were:
The winners were:
  • Album of the Year: All is Yes by The Blessing
  • Best Band: Tom Cawley's Curios
  • Best Vocalist:Christine Tobin
  • Best Instrumentalist: Tony Kofi
  • Rising Star: Kit Downes
  • Artist of the Year: Humphrey Lyttelton
  • International Artist: Charlie Haden
  • Services to Jazz: Alan Bates
  • Lifetime Achievement: Return to Forever
  • Innovation Award: Fraud
  • Heart of Jazz: Tommy Smith
  • Gold Award: Cleo Laine and John Dankworth

    2011

The winners were:
  • Album of the Year: Exile by Gilad Atzmon's Orient House Ensemble
  • Best Band: Guy Barker's International Septet
  • Best Vocalist: Claire Martin
  • Best Instrumentalist: Brian Kellock
  • Rising Star: Jamie Cullum
  • International Artist: Esbjörn Svensson Trio
  • Services to Jazz: Tony Dudley-Evans
  • Lifetime Achievement: George Shearing
  • Innovation Award: Byron Wallen
  • Jazz Heritage: The Merseysippi Jazz Band
  • Best New Work: Interrupting Cutler, Brian Irvine