Kurt Elling: 2013 DownBeat Critics Poll Male Vocalist of the Year!

Once again, the critics have chosen Kurt Elling as the top male vocalist in the 61th Annual DownBeat Critics Poll!
Kurt has been named the DownBeat Critics Poll Male Vocalist of the Year for fourteen consecutive years, from 2000 through 2013, and he was also awarded Talent Deserving Wider Recognition the preceding four years, from 1997 to 2000.

Frank Alkyer, DownBeat's publisher, remarked,

“The DownBeat Critics Poll represents a dedication to the improvised music community that you will find nowhere else in print or online. We have 165 critics taking considerable time and effort to vote in the poll, and we thank each and every one for those contributions. The results are not just about the winners; they're also about recognizing established and up-and-coming artists from all over the globe. We’re very proud to publish the names of more than 1,000 artists in this year's poll results. It's a list that offers a very comprehensive snapshot of what’s happening musically in 2013.”

The complete 2013 DownBeat Critics Poll results are here. They will be also published in the August issue of DownBeat, available on newsstands on July 16.

Congratulations to all of the 2013 winners, and especially to Kurt!

And click here to see Kurt's impressive page of Awards & Recognitions.

July update: Vote today in the DownBeat Readers Poll:

Voting in the 78th DownBeat Readers Poll is now open! Everyone everywhere can vote in this Poll, which is available now on the DownBeat website.

For more details about the Readers Poll and its categories, please see this topic in Kurt's Forum.