Public vote opens for Scottish Jazz Awards 2025 as scene flourishes

A stellar lineup of nominees has been announced for the Scottish Jazz Awards 2025, showcasing the exceptional talent flourishing across Scotland's vibrant jazz scene.

Article Source: Scottish Jazz Awards
Last Updated: 5 November 2025 12:14

Image: Award nominee Rachel Lightbody

The glittering ceremony will take place at the Savings Bank, Glasgow on Sunday 7 December celebrating the country's finest jazz musicians and industry contributors.

This year's nominees reflect the vibrant and diverse jazz community in Scotland, spanning a range of talent from established names to emerging voices.

The carefully selected shortlist of over 25 musicians, acts, individuals and organisations across seven categories have been chosen by a panel of industry specialists, including media and promoters from across the UK, alongside last year’s winners who were ineligible to be nominated in the same category.

A new addition to this year's awards is the Scottish Jazz Grassroots Promoter of the Year Award, sponsored by EmuBands. This new category aims to shine a spotlight on the independent promoters who champion fresh talent and recognise the vital role they play in nurturing emerging music and building new audiences for live jazz across Scotland.

The public vote opens today, giving jazz enthusiasts across Scotland the opportunity to champion their favourites. Fans can cast their votes until Friday 21 November at www.jazzfest.co.uk/awards

Nominations for the Scottish Jazz Awards 2025 are:

Rising Star Award, sponsored by Musicians’ Union
● Ali Watson
● Finlay Mackenzie
● Niamh Corkey
● Pippa Blundell
● Timmy Allan

The Fionna Duncan Best Vocalist Award, sponsored by Whighams Jazz Club
● Gaïa
● Georgia Cecile
● kitti
● Marianne McGregor
● Rachel Lightbody

Best Instrumentalist Award, sponsored by ESP Music Rentals
● Colin Steele
● Harben Kay
● Matt Carmichael
● Norman Willmore
● Pete Johnstone

Grassroots Promoter Award, sponsored by EmuBands
● Jazz at The Blue Lamp, Aberdeen
● Jazz at The Glad, Glasgow
● LayLow, Glasgow
● Playtime, Edinburgh
● Whighams Jazz Club, Edinburgh

Best Album Award, sponsored by Rightsbridge
● Colin Steele Quartet - Jazz Interpretations of The Blue Nile Songbook
● Kai Reesu - KOMPROMAT vol. i
● Matt Carmichael - Dancing with Embers
● Norman&Corrie - Twa Double Doubles
● Rebecca Vasmant - Who We Are, Becoming

Best Band Award, sponsored by S.M. Lighting (Scotland) Ltd
● corto.alto
● Kai Reesu
● Mama Terra
● Norman&Corrie
● Tao

A Critics' Choice Award sponsored by Inhouse Event Productions will be announced on the night.

Jill Rodger, Director of Glasgow Jazz Festival and Producer of the Scottish Jazz Awards, said: "It’s been another fantastic year for Scottish jazz as artists and promoters alike continue to push boundaries, reach new audiences and showcase the very best of our genre. The 2025 nominees represent the incredible depth and diversity of Scotland's jazz scene.

“The rise in independent promoters has played a crucial role in supporting the Scottish jazz scene over the last 12 months so we’re delighted to launch a new category to highlight these dedicated teams who provide regular performance opportunities and help nurture the next generation. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees who have truly earned their place in the spotlight and encourage jazz fans across Scotland to get voting.”

Clare Hewitt, Music Officer at Creative Scotland said: “The Scottish Jazz Awards give people in Scotland the opportunity to celebrate the country’s creative and vibrant jazz community. This shortlist shows how alive jazz is to other genres, drawing from and influencing them in equal measure, creating bold new sounds. With support from The National Lottery, the platform provided by the awards is invaluable to all the shortlisted artists and promoters, and audiences can support the music they love by voting.”

The Scottish Jazz Awards are produced as an independent event by the organisers of Glasgow Jazz Festival and supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

Since their inception, The Scottish Jazz Awards have become a hallmark event on the Scottish cultural calendar, recognising and honouring contributions to the genre from some of Scotland’s finest vocalists and instrumentalists.

The Scottish Jazz Awards will be held at the Savings Bank in Glasgow on Sunday 7 December. To vote in this year’s awards, please visit www.jazzfest.co.uk/awards. Voting closes at 12pm on Friday 21 November.

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