Australian Jazz Bell Award Winners Announced

The Australian jazz music industry was out in force last night for the 10^th Annual Australian Jazz Bell Awards at the Regent Theatre.

Leader of the Opposition, The Hon. Daniel Andrews MP gave the opening address to an audience which ranged from jazz music fans, to exciting new jazz performers and legends of the Australian Jazz scene. The resurgence of jazz music in Australia continues to make this one of the most exciting nights in Australian music-a night celebrating innovation and tradition in music.

Hosted by Tracy Curro, the atmosphere was buzzing when Senator the Hon. Stephen Conroy announced BRIan Brown as the newest inductee into the Australian Jazz Hall Of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career. 

Albert Dadon AM, Chairman of the Jazz Bell Awards said “It is exciting to see the awards getting bigger and better every year.  We have amazing jazz talent in Australia and we are privileged to have the Jazz Bell Awards to pay tribute to that talent.  We congratulate all this year’s winners.”

Established in 2003 these awards are named in honour of Australian Jazz pianist Graeme Bell, to recognise and encourage excellence in the performance, recording and presentation of jazz in Australia.

The Australian Jazz Bell Award winners share a total prize pool of $40,000 - $5,000 per category.

The 2012 Australian Jazz Bell Award winners are:

The winner for Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album

-          Kristin Berardi Meets The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra,

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The winner for Most Original Australian Jazz Album

-          Peter Knight, Fish Boast of Fishing

The winner for Best Australian Contemporary Jazz Album

-          Nick Haywood Quartet, 1234

The Winner for Best Australian Traditional Jazz Album

-          Allan Browne, Collected Works Volume II: Fifty Years of New Orleans Jazz

The winner for Best Australian Jazz Song of the Year

-          Luke Howard & Janos Bruneel, “Spir”, Open Road

The winner for Best Australian Jazz Ensemble

-          Andrea Keller Quartet

The winner of  The Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year

-          Alex Boneham

For more information, visit www.bellawards.org.

Australia - Melbourne Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL (Regent Theatre, Melbourne)

54.6% of votes

2. TWELFTH NIGHT (St Kilda Botanical Gardens)

18.3% of votes

3. MJ THE MUSICAL (Her Majesty's Theatre)

16.2% of votes

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