Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2018 nominees revealed!

The Northern jazz scene has good representation for this year's prestigious  Parliamentary Jazz Awards.  Jazz at the Lescar in Sheffield, run by Jez Matthews, is nominated as Jazz Venue of the Year. Bolton's own jazz clarinet virtuoso Arun Ghosh is up for two of the awards - for jazz instrumentalist and jazz album of the year. Lance Liddle's "Bebop Spoken Here" blog based in Newcastle and the North East is amongst the nominations for the jazz media award section and Gill Wilde, who has recently stepped aside from Cleethorpes Jazz Festival and Grimsby Jazz, has been nominated in the "services to jazz award". Finally Manchester based big band Beats & Pieces are nominated as jazz ensemble of the year

The full nominees for the 2018 award are:

Jazz Vocalist of the Year: Liane Carroll; Georgia Mancio; Zara McFarlane and Ian Shaw

Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year: Rob Luft; Arun Ghosh and Ross Stanley

Jazz Album of the Year: Arun Gosh – "But Where Are You Really From"?; Denys Baptiste – "The Late Trane"; Gareth Lockrane Big Band – "Fistfight At The Barndance"

Jazz Ensemble of the Year: Ezra Collective; Dinosaur; ARQ – Alison Rayner Quartet and Beats & Pieces Big Band

Jazz Newcomer of the Year: Fergus McCreadie; Sarah Tandy; Shirley Tetteh

Jazz Venue of the Year: Jazz Re:Freshed; Jazz At The Lescar, Sheffield and South Coast Jazz Festival

Jazz Media Award: Richard Williams; Kevin Le Gendre and Lance Liddle for "Bebop Spoken Here" website

Jazz Education Award: Pete Churchill; Jean Toussaint and Nikki Illes

Services to Jazz Award: Blow The Fuse – Alison Rayner and Deirdre Cartwright; Jill Rodger – Glasgow Jazz Festival; Gary Crosby and Gill Wilde - Cleethorpes Jazz Festival and Grimsby Jazz .

The nominees were selected via an online public vote for the awards, the shortlist was then voted upon by a selection panel of jazz musicians and music professionals from a variety of backgrounds selected for their passion for, and knowledge of, jazz. The winners will be chosen by members of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG), and will be announced at the awards ceremony on 16 October at at Pizza Express Live's Holborn jazz club, an event which will include live performances and guest presenters.

Kelvin Hopkins MP, Co-Chair of APPJAG, said: "These shortlists demonstrate the wealth of talent and commitment that exists in the British jazz scene. Now in its 14th year, the Parliamentary Jazz Awards honours the best of British jazz. MPs and Peers in the All Party Group are delighted to host another ceremony at Pizza Express Live and we are extremely grateful to PizzaExpress Live for supporting the event and for Peroni for sponsoring the event."

The Parliamentary Jazz Awards will take place on 16 October at Pizza Express Live's Holborn jazz club. 

For more info visit www.pizzaexpresslive.com/parliamentary-jazz-awards