This year’s Parliamentary Jazz Awards will take place on 13 May at the House of Commons and voting is now open online for the public to cast their choices across the designated categories. Voting forms can be completed on the Jazz Services website at www.jazzservices.org.uk and the final deadline is 12-noon on Monday 3 February 2014. The awards are firmly established as one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the jazz calendar and are held by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group in association with PPL.
This year the awards ring the changes with a streamlining of some categories and new ones added. These now include: Jazz Album of the Year (released in 2013 by UK band or musician); Jazz Vocalist of the Year; Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year; Jazz Ensemble of the Year; Jazz Venue of the Year (including jazz clubs, venues, festivals and promoters); Jazz Media Award (including magazines, journalists, radio broadcasters, books and websites); Jazz Education Award (to an educator or project for raising the standard of jazz education in the UK); Jazz Newcomer of the Year (UK based artist, musician or group who has released a debut album in 2013) and Services to Jazz Award (to a living person for their outstanding contribution to Jazz in the UK).
Jazzwise encourages readers to participate in the online voting to widen the diversity of nominations and spread the jazz message.
To vote go to www.jazzservices.org.uk