The Awards Ceremony for the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards took place earlier this evening (14 October2025) at World Heartbeat in Nine Elms.
THE WINNERS ARE
Jazz Vocalist of the Year – Zara McFarlane
(nominees Brigitte Beraha and Alice Zawadzki)
Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year – Rob Luft (guitar)
(nominees Jasper Hoiby and Janette Mason)
Jazz Album of the Year – John Surman – Words Unspoken
(nominees: Ezra Collective – ‘Dance, No One’s Watching’, Daniel Casimir – ‘Balance’, Billy Marrows – ‘Penelope’)
Jazz Ensemble of the Year – The Banger Factory
(other nominee Ezra Collective)
Jazz Newcomer of the Year – Donovan Haffner (saxophone)
(nominees Olivia Cuttill, Maddy Coombs, Knats)
Jazz Venue of the Year – Digbeth Jazz (Birmingham)
(nominees 606, Soul Mama, Marianne Windham – Guildford Jazz)
Jazz Media Award – ‘Round Midnight with Soweto Kinch
(nominees Richard Williams, One Jazz – Chris Philips)
Jazz Education Award – Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra
(nominees Tomorrows’ Warriors, World Heart Beat)
The Martin Hummel Award (*) – Olivia Cuttill (trumpet)
Services to Jazz Award – Marianne Windham
(nominees Danielle White, Chris Philips)
Special APPJG Award – Chris Philips
(*) a special award this year to commemorate the life and work of Martin Hummel the CEO of Ubuntu Music
The awards are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG), co-chaired by Dame Chi Onwurah MP and 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.
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 Awards are supported by theMusicians’ Union and UK Music.
The Awards were introduced and presented by: Lord Mann and Chi Onwurah MP, Chris Hodgkins, Emily Saunders, Musicians’ Union Executive Committee, Sam Jackson, Controller of BBC Radio 3, Leslie Hummel, Mhari Aurora, political correspondent for Sky News, Steve Crocker of Leeds Jazz, Tom Kiehl, CEO UK Music, James Gero, CEO World Heart Beat and Julian Joseph, Honorary Patron of World heart Beat, Jo White MP and others
The band were: Andrea Vicari (piano), Alison Rayner (bass), Tori Freestone (sax), Henry Lowther (trumpet) and Wilf Cameron Marples (drums)
4 responses
Vic Ash – one of our greatest clarinet, sax and flute players, and a very modest man, once described his frequent wins in the Melody Maker’s poll for Clarinetist Of the Year as “a one horse race” – not true, but it was an instrument with few practitioners, in comparison to, say, the trumpet or tenor sax, but to win the Media award in this annual contest could be described in the terms Vic chose. There is so little broadcast jazz these days – Jazz Club, Jazz In Britain, Geoffrey Smith’s programmes all long gone. Even Jazz Record Requests seems increasingly dominated by lady “jazz” singers, and (presumably) relatives of unheard band members requesting tracks from a yet-to-be-released CD.
Thanks Alan. Your comment made me want to think about what the awards evening last night at World Heart Beat actually “meant”, and I can’t do better than to reproduce Marianne Windham’s brilliant acceptance speech – about the incredibly powerful way in which music and the building of communities go hand in hand – with her permission:
“Fifteen years ago I decided to stop being an engineer (that’s been a theme this evening!) to learn my instrument and discover what jazz is all about. But on the way through, I realised that there’s this fantastic community of musicians, of promoters, of broadcasters and journalists…and all the talents and skills.. of people in this room, and also outside the room.
I am thrilled to be part of that community and I just want to say thank you to all the people who made it happen: my wonderful team from Guildford Jazz. There’s Jerry at the back here, and my family… all the people who’ve supported me in my learning process, as a musician and also as a promoter.
I want to say how grateful I am for it and how wonderful it is to be part of a community. It’s been great this evening, it’s been quite moving to see all the winners, all the nominees. But the main thing is that we are all winners – because we are all in this community together. Thank you very, very much.”
Thanks Seb and well said. Thanks also for covering the awards
As founder of Birmingham Jazz in 1976, starting at the Grand Hotel in Colmore Road it is heartening to read that the Jazz Venue of the year was awarded to Digbeth Jazz (Birmingham).
The 50th Anniversary of Birmingham Jazz is to be celebrated next year. At 90 years of age I still hope to attend.
George West (living in Leicester)