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

Kurt Elling has been named Male Vocalist of the Year in both the 2013 DownBeat Critics Poll and its Readers Poll. It's a clean sweep!
The 78th Annual Readers Poll results were just announced and will be featured in the December 2013 issue of DownBeat.

The DownBeat Critics Poll results were announced earlier this year.

This is the eighth year Kurt has topped the DownBeat Readers Poll, winning in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and now 2013.

He's won the top spot in the Critics Poll fourteen years in a row, ever since 2000, which may be an unprecedented achievement.

With 24,552 voters casting ballots, the 2013 DownBeat Readers Poll generated the largest voter turnout to date.

Frank Alkyer, DownBeat's publisher, said,

“DownBeat readers are some of the most sophisticated music listeners in the world, and they proved it again. It's such a pleasure to welcome Pat Metheny into the DownBeat Hall of Fame. And Wayne Shorter's year—with the release of Without A Net and his amazing 80th birthday tour—has been historic. It's no wonder that the readers named him Jazz Artist of the Year and gave him four other wins in the poll.

“But the real beauty of the Readers Poll is the extensive list of names that we publish. There are more than 600 artists who are named in the complete poll results, and 91 great recordings made the list. It's a real snapshot of the vitality, breadth and beauty of the improvised music scene. We're proud to be part of it!”

The complete 2013 DownBeat Readers Poll results are here. They will be also published in the December issue of DownBeat, available on newsstands on November 19.

Thanks to everyone who voted, congratulations to all of the 2013 winners, and bravo to Kurt!

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