Top Five Finalists Announced For 10th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition

A world of jazz just minutes from home, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) today announced the top five finalists of the 10th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Pulled from over 160 submissions from over 25 countries, these gifted young contestants from around the world were evaluated on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation, and ability to swing.

The Top Five finalists are: Andrea Miller of Costa Mesa, California; April May Webb of Edison, New Jersey; Latvian-born Arta Jēkabsone of Jersey City, New Jersey; G. Thomas Allen of Chicago, Illinois; and Viktoria "Vik" Gečytė of Paris, France.

On November 14, 2021, they will compete in person on the NJPAC stage in front of a live audience. Hosted by NJPAC's Jazz Advisor and multi-Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride, "The SASSY Awards" will feature performances by the competition's five finalists, as well as by McBride alongside one of today's top jazz vocalists Dianne Reeves.

The finalists will perform before a distinguished panel of judges, including premier jazz pianist Renee Rosnes (West Orange, New Jersey), President & CEO of WBGO Radio Steven A. Williams, past winner of both the Sarah Vaughan and Thelonious Monk International Vocal Jazz Competitions Jazzmeia Horn, Paterson-born guitarist/singer John PIzzarelli, and renowned singer and NJCU professor Sheila Jordan. The first-prize winner of The SASSY Awards will receive a $5,000 cash award, second-place $1,500, and third-place $500.

The competition recalls the humble beginnings of legendary jazz singer/NEA Jazz Master Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) who, back in 1942, was a Newark teenager and winner of an amateur singing contest at the Apollo Theater. That memorable night helped launch the lifework of one of the most successful, influential jazz vocalists in the history of American music. The competition is also known as The Sassy Awards, a nod to the nickname of singer. Past winners include Cyrille Aimée, Jazzmeia Horn, Ashleigh Smith, Arianna Neikrug, Deelee Dubé, Quiana Lynell, Laurin Talese, Samara Joy, Gabrielle Cavassa and Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim. What has become one of the top annual vocal competitions in jazz, The SASSY Awards offers outstanding jazz singers a one-of-a-kind platform for embarking on a career in the music business-and offers audience members a chance to discover the jazz stars of tomorrow. Gifted young contestants from around the world are evaluated on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation, and ability to swing. For more information about The SASSY Awards, visit SarahVaughanCompetition.com.