Cherise Adams-Burnett singing live Jazz FM Awards at Shoreditch Town Hall Drawing by Geoff Winston. © 2019. All Rights Reserved

Geoff Winston reports from the Jazz FM Awards: 

The 2019 Jazz FM Awards was quite some event. It was impressively organised and the opening combination of Tomorrow’s Warriors alumnus, Cherise Adams-Burnett (above), singing with established New Yorker, Eric Bibb, both of whom turned out to be award winners (Vocalist and Blues Act of the Year, respectively), set the tone of the cross-genre and transatlantic reach of this major annual undertaking.

Jez Nelson Drawing by Geoff Winston. © 2019. All Rights Reserved

The double act of presenters Jez Nelson and Chris Philips kept the momentum of the show very effectively on the road throughout the evening.

Don Was Drawing by Geoff Winston. © 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Don Was was there as winner of the PPL Lifetime Achievement Award and was presented with his award celebrating eight decades of Blue Note, with Ringo Starr marking the event and offering his appreciation on-screen – as did Quincy Jones for Jacob Collier, the winner of the PRS for Music Gold Award.

Jean Toussaint Drawing by Geoff Winston.  © 2019. All Rights Reserved

Yes, friendships are important: Jean Toussaint received his much-deserved award of Instrumentalist of the Year from long-term friend and musical partner, Julian Joseph, and there was palpable support throughout the house for this lynchpin and mentor of the thriving London scene.

Sons of Kemet Drawing by Geoff Winston. © 2019. All Rights Reserved

Album of the year went to Sons of Kemet for Your Queen is a Reptile. Perhaps they signify as much as any other band the way the UK scene has become more visible and in demand throughout the world in the past 2-3 years.

Steam Down and Makaya McCraven Drawing by Geoff Winston. © 2019. All Rights Reserved

South London collective, Steam Down won two awards – The Innovation Award and Live Experience (their evening with Kamasi Washington), and were slightly gobsmacked by it all! In this sketch of Steam Down with drummer Makaya McCraven (International Act of the Year) closing out the ceremonials and gliding into the lively after-party, I tried to capture the irrepressible energy which this event, this scene – and this great party – are all about.

LINK: FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND NOMINEES AT THE 2019 JAZZFM AWARDS