Kurt Elling: Jazz Journalists Association 2011 Male Singer of the Year

The Jazz Journalists Association has named Kurt Elling its Male Singer of the Year! The fifteenth annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards ceremony was held June 11, 2011 at City Winery in New York.
This is Kurt’s seventh JJA Jazz Award. He previously won in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.

Other nominees for 2011 Male Singer of the Year were Bobby McFerrin, Freddy Cole, Giacomo Gates, and Gregory Porter.

The 2011 JJA Jazz Awards ceremony was hosted by Josh Jackson of WBGO’s The Checkout. Featured performers included Randy Weston, Jane Bunnett and Hilario Duran, Gregory Porter, and the Hammer Klavier Trio.

As long-time jazz writer, Neil Tesser, says:

The JJA Award has evolved into the most prestigious award in the jazz community: since it comes from writers, critics, photographers, and broadcasters who follow jazz on a professional basis, it is considered relatively free of commercial pressures and popularity concerns.

In addition to musician awards in 29 categories, the JJA honors its members – journalists, photographers, and broadcasters – in 10 categories, as well as “Jazz Heroes” in various cities.  These “Heroes” are recognized for their contributions to the jazz scene in areas other than performance and journalistic coverage.

Again this year, the JJA Jazz Awards were streamed live and tweeted on the Internet, and satellite parties were held in nine cities, all celebrating those who make and document jazz at the highest levels of excellence.

The complete list of winners is here.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, and especially to Kurt!