Freedmans are now the most lucrative award in Australian jazz.
The Freedman Fellowships promotes creativity rather than focusing purely on technique. Fellows are encouraged to develop career enhancing projects that will contribute to Australian jazz.
Prize money has increased to $20,000 with Fellows also receiving three-days recording time in the ABC studios.
The 2016 nominees are:
Sam Anning (bass)
James Ball (piano)
Steve Barry (piano)
Evan Dorrien (drums)
Daniel Gassin (piano)
Lyndon Gray (bass)
Lauren Henderson (voice)
Alf Jackson (drums)
Josh Kyle (voice)
James Macaulay (trombone)
Ricki Malet (trumpet)
James McLean (drums)
Carl Morgan (guitar)
Joe O’Connor (piano)
Mike Rivett (saxophone)
Luke Sweeting (piano)
The Music Trust has just announced the list of contenders for the 2016 Freedman Jazz Fellowships. Nine national nominators representing every State and Territory selected sixteen musicians to contend for one of Australia’s premier awards for excellence in jazz.
Each nominee has been invited to submit a creative project of which only three will be chosen as finalists for the deciding performance at the Sydney Opera House on Monday 1st August.
Past winners of the Freedman Jazz Fellowships at the forefront of Australian jazz. They include guitarists Ben Hauptmann and James Muller, saxophonists Julien Wilson, Andrew Robson and Matt Keegan, pianists Andrea Keller, Matt McMahon, Marc Hannaford, Aaron Choulai and Tal Cohen, trumpeter Phil Slater, bassist Christopher Hale and vocalist Kristin Berardi.
