Melody Gardot to receive Gold Award at Jazz FM Awards 2025

Renowned US vocalist Melody Gardot is set to be honoured with the Gold Award at this year’s Jazz FM Awards with PPL and PRS for Music. Gardot will collect the award at the ceremony at KOKO in London – this year hosted by musician, actor and comedian Ben Bailey Smith (AKA Doc Brown) – on Thursday 24 April 2025.

The Gold Award is one of the event’s highest honours, celebrating extraordinary and sustained contributions to the world of music. It recognises artists who have demonstrated in the words of the organisers, “unparalleled artistic excellence, a deep passion for composition, improvisation and performance, and an enduring impact on the global music landscape”. The accolade has previously been awarded to some of the most influential figures in music, including Charlie Watts, Courtney Pine, Ramsey Lewis, Jacob Collier and Pat Metheny.

With a career spanning nearly two decades, Gardot has captivated audiences worldwide with a distinctive blend of jazz, blues, and cinematic storytelling. Hailed by The Guardian as “a remarkable artist”, she has released a string of acclaimed albums which have established her as one of the most compelling and sophisticated jazz musicians of her generation.

Commenting on the award Melody Gardot said: "It is a tremendous privilege to be recognized by Jazz FM, an institution that has long supported and celebrated the artistry of jazz. The genre has always been about innovation, connection, and emotion, and I am truly grateful to be part of this extraordinary tradition."

Content Director of Jazz FM and Magic Classical, Nick Pitts, added:"Melody Gardot is a true artist in every sense of the word. Her music transcends borders and genres and connects with audiences across the globe. We are thrilled to present her with the Gold Award in recognition of her remarkable contribution to jazz and her unwavering dedication to the craft."

The  2025 nominees include the all-conquering Ezra Collective (fresh from scooping the Brit Award for ‘Best Band’ earlier this month), British sax star Nubya Garcia, UK singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka, US jazz vocalist Samara Joy, multi-instrumentalist Shabaka, ECM recording artist Alice Zawadzki, and Scottish collective corto.alto.

The Nominees are 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 

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 

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 full details visit www.jazzfmawards.com/