2017 NZ Jazz Awards winners announced

The Recorded Music NZ Best Jazz Album and APRA Best Jazz Composition for 2017 have been awarded as part of the Wellington Jazz Festival.

Jonathan Crayford was awarded Best Jazz Album for East West Moon and the Best Jazz Composition was awarded to Callum Allardice for Deep Thought.  

After learning to play the piano at three years old, Jonathan Crayford pursued a career as a jazz musician and continues to score films, craft compositions and release pieces of work like East West Moon. 

The seven tracks that make up East West Moon prove Crayford is still a powerhouse of creativity and a strong figure within the jazz world, both at home and globally.

Recorded Music NZ CEO Damian Vaughan says East West Moon is a reflection of the world class jazz scene found in New Zealand.  “Jazz is a difficult yet beautiful music genre.  I congratulate Jonathan on recording an exceptional album which is well deserving of a tui”.

For crafting Deep Thought, Motueka-native Callum Allardice has been acknowledged with the 2017 APRA Best Jazz Composition Award. This is the second time Callum has received the award, after earning it in 2016 for his composition Sons of Thunder. 

The song is performed by Antipodes, a creative contemporary jazz sextet playing works by Callum, long-time collaborator Jake Baxendale and Australian pianist and composer, Luke Sweeting.

APRA AMCOS Head of New Zealand Operations Ant Healey congratulated Callum on winning his second consecutive Best Jazz Composition Award for his work.

“His beautiful compositions are indicative of the rich, evocative, high quality jazz being written across New Zealand, and we’re so pleased to be celebrating with this community at the Wellington Jazz Festival this year.”

Other finalists for the Recorded Music NZ Best Jazz Album were Myele Manzanza for OnePointOne and the Mike Nock Trio & NZ Trio for Vicissitudes. 

Bruce Brown for It’s A Good Time (To Be A Man), and Jasmine Lovell-Smith for Familia were the remaining finalists for the APRA Best Jazz Composition.

The awards were announced at the Wellington Jazz Festival, which ran from Wednesday 7 through to Sunday 11 June, and featured hundreds of local and international jazz performers throughout the week. 

Finalists for Recorded Music NZ Best Jazz Album

·         Winner: Jonathan Crayford – East West Moon

·         Mike Nock Trio & NZ Trio’ – Vicissitudes

·         Myele Manzanza – OnePointOne

Finalists for APRA Best Jazz Composition

·         Winner: Callum Allardice – Deep Thought

·         Bruce Brown – It’s A Good Time (To Be A Man)

·         Jasmine Lovell-Smith – Familia