Winners of 2023 Scottish Jazz Awards celebrated at sparkling Glasgow ceremony

The stars of Scotland’s burgeoning jazz scene were celebrated last night at the 2023 Scottish Jazz Awards.

Five of the Scottish Jazz Award winners for 2023: Liam Shortall, Marianne McGregor, Ewan Hastie, Rachel Lightbody, Kimberley Tessa.

Five of the Scottish Jazz Award winners for 2023: Liam Shortall, Marianne McGregor, Ewan Hastie, Rachel Lightbody, Kimberley Tessa. Images by Elaine Livingstone.

Hosted by multi-award winning musician Seonaid Aitken, the sparkling ceremony took place at Glasgow’s Savings Bank and saw winners across six categories, including Rising Star, Vocalist, Instrumentalist, Band, Album and Critic’s Choice, honoured for their outstanding contributions to the genre.

Over 3,000 votes were cast for the shortlisted nominees in each category, while the brand new Critics’ Choice Award was chosen by an esteemed panel of judges, including press and promoters from across the country.

The winners of the 2023 Scottish Jazz Awards are:

  • Rising Star Award, sponsored by Musicians’ Union: Kimberley Tessa
  • Best Instrumentalist Award, sponsored by ESP Music Rentals: Ewan Hastie
  • The Fionna Duncan Best Vocalist Award, sponsored by Whighams Jazz Club: Marianne McGregor
  • Best Band Award, sponsored by PizzaExpress Live: corto.alto
  • Best Album Award, sponsored by Birnam CD: Marram - Matt Carmichael
  • Critics’ Choice Award, sponsored by Inhouse Event Productions: Rachel Lightbody

This year’s Rising Star winner, Kimberley Tessa is a Dundee-based multi-instrumentalist steadily making a name for herself within Scotland’s vibrant jazz scene. At just 21 years of age, her remarkable vocal talents, as well as her skill on the saxophone and flute, have grabbed the attention of peers and critics alike over the past year, earning her an enviable reputation as a musician to watch.

Ewan Hastie, 2023’s Best Instrumentalist Award winner, has enjoyed an incredibly successful couple of years. The talented bassist and composer was named BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year in 2022 and this year was awarded the Mark McKergow Prize for Jazz Improvisation. Already making his mark on the Scottish music scene and beyond, Ewan has performed with a number of the top musicians from all over the country and is on his way to becoming a defining force in the global jazz sphere.

This year’s Best Vocalist Award was renamed in honour of the late jazz singer Fionna Duncan, who sadly passed away in 2022. Fionna made great contributions to the Scottish jazz scene with her impeccable vocals and infectious enthusiasm for the music. Last night saw Marianne McGregor take home the Best Vocalist title for the second time, recognised again for her powerful vocals, improvisation skills and pure, emotive work.

The brilliant corto.alto, winners of the 2023 Best Band Award, are a Glasgow-based, genre-defying collective, known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz. Their debut album, Bad With Names, was released in October of this year and was met with widespread acclaim, cementing their reputation as trailblazers in the fusion of jazz, electronica and experimental soundscapes.

Matt Carmichael took home the prestigious Best Album Award for his record Marram, taking influence from the drama, moods and expansiveness of the coastal imagery of Scotland. A celebrated saxophonist and composer, Matt continues to move from strength to strength with his powerfully emotive blend of jazz and folk music. His second album, Marram perfectly blends the musician’s favourite aspects from both jazz and folk music styles.

This year’s new Critics’ Choice Award celebrated the musician who received the most votes overall from the nominating panel and was picked up by vocalist Rachel Lightbody. Rachel has forged an impressive path for herself within the Scottish music scene. Her influences are immersed in a broad range of styles and sounds, creating her genre hopping and fluid approach to writing and interpreting music. She is the vocalist in Scottish jazz/soul ensemble Mama Terra whose music is focused on positivity and friendship.

Jill Rodger, Director of Glasgow Jazz Festival and Producer of the Scottish Jazz Awards, said: "The resounding success of the 2023 Scottish Jazz Awards is a testament to the talent, drive and innovation within the genre. The Scottish jazz scene continues to inspire and push boundaries, and I am continually in awe of the capabilities of our musicians. I would like to say a huge thank you to our attendees, voters, performers and our wonderful sponsors, without whom these awards would not be possible. A special mention must also go to our nominees and, of course, worthy winners – your incredible achievements continue to elevate the richness and diversity of Scotland’s musical landscape.”

Music Officer at Creative Scotland, Clare Hewitt said: “The winners of this year’s Scottish Jazz Awards embody the vibrancy and inventiveness of Scotland’s jazz community. The enthusiasm of the public who chose these musicians from such a strong shortlist shows just how deeply their music is connecting with audiences. Warm congratulations to all the nominees and winners, and thank you to the sponsors of each award who have helped to make the evening possible. Special thanks to Glasgow Jazz Festival for producing such a celebratory event which gives Scottish jazz the spotlight it deserves at home and around the world.”

Since their inception, The Scottish Jazz Awards have become a hallmark event on the Scottish cultural calendar, recognising and honouring contributions to the genre from some of Scotland’s finest vocalists and instrumentalists, while inspiring gifted newcomers to the scene.

The Scottish Jazz Awards are produced as an independent event by the organisers of Glasgow Jazz Festival and supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

For more information, please visit www.jazzfest.co.uk.

Background

Glasgow Jazz Festival

The Glasgow International Jazz Festival was founded in 1987, when Glasgow was bidding to become the European City of Culture for 1990. The city had studied the competition and worked out that all major cities in Europe had a jazz festival. If they had one, then so should Glasgow.

From the very beginning, the Glasgow International Jazz Festival brought some of the biggest names of jazz to the City –1987’s programme included singer Sarah Vaughan, Chick Corea, Taj Mahal, Benny Carter and Carol Kidd. Other top headliners include Miles Davis (during the European City of Culture year 1990), Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Guy, Michael Brecker and Tony Bennett. Follow @GlasgowJazzFest on social media for further information.

Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot.

Media contacts

For interviews, images and further information please contact Catherine McEachern at Innes and Campbell Communications, [email protected], 07528120506