The only awards in Australia to acknowledge excellence specifically for jazz performance, creativity and presentation, the 2016 Australian Jazz Bell Awards will be presented at Melbourne’s Bird’s Basement on Monday 20 June.
Celebrating its 14th year in 2016, the Awards recognise the exceptional talent of the Australian jazz community and are widely regarded as the Australian jazz industry’s most respected and highly anticipated awards.
Shortlisted artists include: Kristin Berardi, Paul Grabowsky, Vince Jones, Barney McAll, Julien Wilson Quartet, well as upcoming artists Olivia Chindamo, Angela Davis, Niran Dasika and James McLean.
The Bells, named in honour of one of the greats in Australian jazz, the late Graeme Bell, AO MBE – feature a prize pool of $40,000. Each category title in this year’s Awards rewards the winner (or collective winners) with $5000 prize money.
The 2016 Shortlisted artists and awards are:
Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album
Kristin Berardi – Where Or When
Vince Jones + Paul Grabowsky – Provenance
Olivia Chindamo – Keep An Eye On Spring
Best Instrumental Jazz Album
Barney McAll – Mooroolbark
Angela Davis – Lady Luck
Julien Wilson Quartet – This Narrow Isthmus
Best Produced Album
Barney McAll – Mooroolbark
Mike Nock/ Laurence Pike – Beginning And End of Knowing
Angela Davis – Lady Luck
Best Australian Jazz Song/Composition of the Year
Barney McAll – Nectar Spur (Mooroolbark)
Julien Wilson Quartet – Weeping Willow (This Narrow Isthmus)
Angela Davis – A thousand Feet from Bergen Street (Lady Luck)
Best Australian Small Jazz Band (Up to 6 members)
Barney McAll + A.S.I.O. (Australian Symbiotic Improvisers Orbit) – Mooroolbark
Allan Browne Quintet – Ithaca Bound
Alister Spence Trio – Alister Spence Trio: Live
Best Australian Jazz Ensemble
Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra – 2015 Live Performance Compilation
Daniel Susnjar – The Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group
Mace Francis Orchestra – Music For Average Photography
Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year (Musicians up to and including 25 years of age)
Olivia Chindamo – Keep An Eye On Spring
James McLean – Counter Clockwork
Niran Dasika – Manticore (Phantom)
For more information on the Australian Jazz Bell Awards, visit: www.bellawards.org for details.
Image: Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra (supplied)