Jamie Cullum to receive ‘Impact Award’ at 2025 Jazz FM Awards

British jazz musician and broadcaster Jamie Cullum is to receive the Impact Award at the 2025 Jazz FM Awards with PPL and PRS for Music. The prestigious accolade will be presented at the ceremony at KOKO in London, which takes place on Thursday 24 April 2025 and will be hosted by musician, actor, and comedian Ben Bailey Smith (AKA Doc Brown).

The Jazz FM Impact Award “celebrates visionaries who have played a pivotal role in bringing jazz into the mainstream”. It also recognises those whose groundbreaking contributions - whether through performance, education, or media - have made the genre more accessible to audiences around the world. Previous recipients of the Impact Award include Grammy-winning Norah Jones, legendary guitarist and vocalist George Benson, Oscar-winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle, acclaimed jazz vocalist Gregory Porter, renowned broadcaster and pianist Jools Holland, and the influential music education organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors.

Jamie Cullum’s career, which spans more than two decades, has been defined by his innovative approach to jazz, blending traditional styles with contemporary influences. Having sold over 10 million albums, the pianist and singer is the best-selling British jazz artist of all time. Beyond his work as a performer and recording artist, Cullum has made a significant impact as a broadcaster and his long-running BBC Radio show has become a platform for showcasing the ever-evolving world of jazz, helping to introduce new audiences to the genre while celebrating its roots.

Nick Pitts, Content Director of Jazz FM and Magic Classical: "Jamie Cullum’s impact on jazz is both profound and far-reaching. He’s helped elevate the genre, making it accessible and appealing to many generations, and we’re delighted to recognise his contribution with this year’s Jazz FM Impact Award."

The Jazz FM Awards with PPL and PRS for Music will also this year honour the internationally renowned US vocalist Melody Gardot with the Gold Award, celebrating her extraordinary and sustained contributions to the world of music. 

The 2025 nominees feature a dynamic mix of pioneering artists and rising stars including UK trailblazers Ezra Collective, British sax star Nubya Garcia, celebrated singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka, one of the world’s great jazz vocalists Samara Joy, the pioneering UK multi-instrumentalist Shabaka, rising contemporary soul sensation Jalen Ngonda, multi-talented singer and ECM recording artist Alice Zawadzki, and the Mercury-nominated corto.alto.

Full nominees list is as follows:

UK Jazz Act of the Year – PUBLIC VOTE 

Sponsored by: Rathbones 

corto.alto
Ezra Collective 
Nubya Garcia 

Album of the Year – PUBLIC VOTE 

Sponsored by: Rayo

Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado - Za Górami 
Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching
Meshell Ndegeocello - No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin 
Nubya Garcia – Odyssey 
Samara Joy – Portrait
Shabaka - Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace 

 Breakthrough Act of the Year 

Sponsored by: Arts Council England 

Mama Terra
Ni Maxine
Sultan Stevenson  

International Jazz Act of the Year 

Sponsored by: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority 

Lakecia Benjamin 
Meshell Ndegeocello 
Samara Joy 

Vocalist of the Year 

Sponsored by: Sounds from Spain by ICEX

Alice Zawadzki 
Bryony Jarman-Pinto 
Lucy-Anne Daniels 

Instrumentalist of the Year 

Sponsored by: Yamaha UK

corto.alto 
Emma Rawicz 
Mark Kavuma 

Soul Act of the Year 

Sponsored by: Oanda 

Allysha Joy
Jalen Ngonda 
Michael Kiwanuka 

Blues Act of the Year 

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram 
Shemekia Copeland
Toby Lee 

The Innovation Award 

Sponsored by: Mishcon de Reya 

corto.alto
Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band 
Orii 

The Collaboration Award – NEW FOR 2025 
Sponsored by: Cash For Kids

Queer Jazz
Take Five by Serious
Women in Jazz

For more info visit www.jazzfmawards.com