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 for the 2016 Australian Jazz Bell Awards – the only awards in Australia to acknowledge excellence specifically for jazz performance, creativity and presentation – have just been announced across the seven categories.
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)
The Bells, named in honour of one of the greats in Australian jazz – the late Graeme Bell, MBE AO – 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.
Australian Jazz Bell Awards Limited was founded by prominent jazz musician Albert Dadon AM, who led the inaugural Australian Jazz Bell Awards in 2003. “The prestigious Australian Jazz Bell Awards honour the jazz art form in Australia, recognising the achievements of young, upcoming and established Australian jazz performers and composers,” Mr Dadon said.
The Australian Jazz Award winners and the Graeme Bell Hall of Fame recipient will be announced at the Australian Jazz Bell Awards on Monday 20 June at Bird’s Basement.
