Nathan Farrell and Jackie Ribas Named Finalists in SARAH VAUGHAN Jazz Competition

The 15th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition has announced its five finalists, including New York City vocalists Nathan Farrell and Jackie Ribas, who will compete live at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Sunday, November 22, 2026, as part of the TD James Moody Festival.

Selected from a record-breaking pool of more than 360 entrants representing 38 countries, this year's finalists will vie for the top honor in a competition that has helped launch some of jazz's most celebrated voices, including Samara Joy, Jazzmeia Horn and Cyrille Aimée. Joy went on to win the 2023 GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist, bringing worldwide attention to a new generation of jazz vocalists.

The 2026 Finalists

Alyssa Allgood — Chicago, Illinois

Vahn Black — Detroit, Michigan

Nathan Farrell — New York City, New York

Angélique Nicolas — Paris, France

Jackie Ribas — New York City, New York

The live finals give audiences the opportunity to hear five distinctive artists at a pivotal moment in their careers, and witness the discovery of jazz's next breakout voice.

Finalists will perform before a distinguished panel of artists and industry leaders: acclaimed jazz and soul vocalist José James; three-time GRAMMY Award nominee Gretchen Parlato; Jason Olaine, Vice President of Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center; Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winning actress and singer Lillias White; and drummer, percussionist and bandleader T.S. Monk, son of jazz legend Thelonious Monk.

Hosted by WBGO Radio's Gary Walker, the event will also feature a special performance by April May Webb, the competition's 2024 winner. Affectionately known as 'The SASSY Awards,' the competition will award $5,000 to the first-place winner, $1,500 to the second-place finalist and $500 to the third-place finalist.

The competition honors the legacy and humble beginnings of legendary jazz singer/NEA Jazz Master Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990). In 1942, Vaughan was a Newark teenager whose raw talent won her an amateur singing contest at The Apollo Theater, launching one of the most successful and influential jazz careers in American music history.

Past winners of the competition include Cyrille Aimée, Jazzmeia Horn, Ashleigh Smith, Arianna Neikrug, Deelee Dubé, Quiana Lynell, Laurin Talese, Samara Joy (2023 GRAMMY Award winner for Best New Artist), Gabrielle Cavassa and Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim, G. Thomas Allen, Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso, Tyreek McDole, April May Webb, and Kate Kortum.

As one of the world's premier jazz vocal competitions, The SASSY Awards offers outstanding, unsigned singers over the age of 18 a unique platform to launch their careers in the music business. Contestants are evaluated on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation, and ability to swing.

Event + Ticket Information

Date: Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. ET

Location: NJPAC, One Center Street, Newark, New Jersey

Tickets: On sale now. Reserve online at SarahVaughanCompetition.com or call 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722).

About the Top Five Finalists

Alyssa Allgood (Chicago) is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, bandleader and three-time DownBeat magazine Critics Poll Rising Star based in Chicago, praised for her 'force, clarity and jazz integrity' (The New York City Jazz Record). Allgood performs heartfelt originals and contemporary arrangements of standards with a voice that moves from tender to bold, and 'improvisational prowess' (DownBeat) that puts her at the center of the band's conversation. The inaugural winner of the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition, Allgood has commanded iconic stages including Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Dizzy's, Birdland, Mezzrow, the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase and Blues Alley. She has recorded with internationally renowned musicians Geoffrey Keezer, John Patitucci, Kendrick Scott and Greg Ward, and had compositions selected as finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and International Songwriting Competition.

Vahn Black (Detroit) is a Detroit-born vocalist, songwriter, producer and composer. A graduate of Spelman College and Detroit School of Arts, her work moves between song, film, theater and performance art, with an attention to voice as both instrument and witness. In 2014, she placed runner-up in the Detroit Jazz Festival's Youth Vocal competition. She has worked with artists including Anthony Hamilton, MAJOR., Frankie Beverly featuring Maze, Elle Varner and Chrisette Michele, and has been recognized by NPR's Tiny Desk and Tiny Desk Top Shelf. Her recordings, including The Gladys Bentley Project series and I Am a Woman Again: Naked, continue an ongoing conversation with Black musical lineage, memory and self-authorship.

Nathan Farrell (New York) is a New York-based artist, vocalist, saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer. In 2026, he was featured with GRAMMY and Tony Award-winning Bryan Carter's Jazz at Pride at Dizzy's Club and at Live from Emmet's Place. A product of JAZZ HOUSE KiDS in Montclair, New Jersey, Farrell gained renown at a young age with outstanding award recognitions from the Essentially Ellington Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Manhattan School of Music and Charles Mingus Festival, DownBeat magazine, The Pittsfield Jazz Festival's Jazz Prodigy Series and a roster placement in the 2016 and 2017 GRAMMY Camp Jazz Session Big Bands. He is an in-demand vocal collaborator, including background vocals and arrangements for the Jonas Brothers at Prudential Center, an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and vocals on Lawrence's GRAMMY-nominated arrangement of 'Something in the Water (Acoustic-ish).'

Angélique Nicolas (Paris) is a French jazz vocalist, composer and vocal educator whose artistry bridges jazz, soul and gospel. A finalist in the 2024 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she returns with a deeply personal approach to interpretation and improvisation. A graduate of the Toulon Conservatory in vocal jazz and contemporary music, she first gained national recognition through The Voice France in 2016. Her recent work includes original releases Still, Blurred Skies, 8 Unfolded and While We Walk (2026), an intimate improvised piano-and-voice project with pianist Enzo Carniel. She is developing ARETHA – A Bridge of Souls, a contemporary jazz tribute to Aretha Franklin that honors the African American roots, heritage and legacy of this music while creating a bridge between cultures and generations.

Jackie Ribas (Brazil) is a Brazilian-American vocalist whose artistry is rooted in gospel, Brazilian music, soul and jazz. She sang in church and at 12 began studying at a music conservatory. For seven years she was a vocalist on Altas Horas, a popular Brazilian television show. Since moving to New York in 2011, Ribas has built an international career performing jazz and Brazilian music at prestigious venues and events including the NFL Draft, New York Fashion Week, Formula 1 in Brazil and the inaugurations of two New Jersey governors. Her international performances include venues in France, Portugal, Germany, Amsterdam and Ghana, where she was invited to perform for International Jazz Day for two consecutive years.

About NJPAC

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States. It is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey, where performances and events take place throughout the year. As New Jersey's anchor cultural institution, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. NJPAC has attracted more than 12 million visitors, including more than two million children, since opening its doors in 1997. More information is available at njpac.org.