The recipients of the 2022 Parliamentary Jazz Awards were announced on Tuesday 5th July at 20:00.

The Parliamentary Jazz Awards are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) with the support of PizzaExpress Live. The Awards celebrate and recognise the vibrancy, diversity, talent and breadth 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; the Services to Jazz Award.

Lord Parkinson Minister for Arts and DCMS Lords Minister presented the first award to Claire Martin, Vocalist of the Year.

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 have kept jazz flourishing. These recipients demonstrate the wealth of talent and commitment that exists in the British jazz scene. Now in their 17^th year, the Parliamentary Jazz Awards honour the best of British jazz. MPs and Peers in the All Party Group is grateful to PizzaExpress Live for supporting the event.

John Spellar MP, Co-Chair of APPJG.

This has been another really strong year for the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in terms of talent and nominations. The well deserved recipients are a veritable who’s who of names that have made a real impact on the music and helped make the UK one of the world’s leading jazz territories.  

Chi Onwurah MP, Deputy Chair of APPJAG

The full list of recipients is as follows:

Jazz Vocalist of the Year: Claire Martin OBE.
 
Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year: Tony Kofi.

Jazz Album of the Year: Daniel Casimir “Boxed In”.

Jazz Ensemble of the Year: Kansas Smitty’s House Band.
 
Jazz Newcomer of the Year: Emma Rawicz.

Jazz Venue of the Year: The Globe, Newcastle upon Tyne.
 
Jazz Media Award: Jane Cornwell.
 
Jazz Education Award: Jazz Camp For Girls, Helena Summerfield, Jazz North.
 
Services to Jazz Award: Mike Westbrook.
 
Special APPJG Award: Barbara Thompson.

The All Party Parliamentary Jazz  Group (APPJG) currently has over 116 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.