The prestigious Jazz FM Awards are excited to reveal the nominations for the Audience Vote Awards. Nominees for the categories Live Experience of the Year, UK Jazz Act of the Year and Album of the Year have been revealed. The winners will be announced when the awards take place on Wednesday 10 June 2015 in Great Halls at London’s Vinopolis. Voting is now open at www.jazzfmawards.com/vote until 10 May 2015.

These nominees are a true celebration of the wealth of talent the UK has to offer. The artists shortlisted for the awards have been chosen by a mixture of movers and shakers within the UK music industry. The awards night will be a sure highlight of the jazz, blues and soul world combined, with legendary South African musician Hugh Masekela already announced as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Live Experience of the Year will see the UK’s biggest jazz events go head to head with their most memorable performances of the past year, with Loose Tubes at Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Blue Note 75th Birthday at EFG London Jazz Festival and Jamie Cullum at Love Supreme Jazz Festival all in the running for the award.

The public will also get to choose the UK Jazz Act of the Year with nominees being jazz meets electronica rising stars GoGo Penguin, unique jazz/Caribbean/African-take band, Sons of Kemet and drummer/composer Sebastian Rochford’s Polar Bear.

The Album of the Year category will see a battle of the Atlantic with American artists Ambrose Akinmusire (“The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint”), D'Angelo (“Black Messiah”), Dianne Reeves (“Beautiful Life”) and Chris Potter Underground Orchestra (“Imaginary Cities”) all in the running for the Award. Whilst British artists Polar Bear (“In Each and Every One”) and Troyka (“Ornithophobia”) are also up for the award flying the flag for the UK.

Richard Wheatly, Jazz FM Chairman, commented: “The Awards recognise and celebrate great contemporary jazz music and musicians and these nominees truly exemplify this ambition. We are delighted to now open up voting to the public to decide who is most deserving of each of these Awards."

The Jazz FM Awards 2015, produced by Serious, will present eleven awards in total to honour musicians and performers that have made an exceptional contribution within the worlds of Jazz, Blues and Soul. The additional awards to be given out on the night include Breakthrough Act, Instrumentalist of the Year, Jazz Innovation of the Year, International Jazz Artist of the Year, Blues Artist of the Year, Soul Artist of the Year and Vocalist of the Year. Nominees in these categories will be announced soon. The Lifetime Achievement will be presented to legendary South African musician Hugh Masekela, who will also be performing at the Awards.

Hugh Masekela commented, "Over the past 45 years, England and particularly London has been a principal centre in my developmental journey to the place I have ultimately reached today in my life as a musician. Jazz FM has been a prime centre of support for me since its inception. It is therefore a humbling and highly fulfilling privilege for me to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from them. I thank all who have supported me on an often difficult but ultimately joyous voyage which has brought me thus far down this musical highway.”

The Jazz FM Awards first took place in 2013 creating a memorable night of glamour, live music and celebration of all things jazz. From stunning performances, including a world first collaboration by Jamie Cullum and the inaugural Jazz FM Awards lifetime Achievement winner Ahmad Jamal, to highlighting amazing accomplishments from the likes of Robert Glasper, Gregory Porter, Kurt Elling and many more.

The Jazz FM Awards 2015 is a partnership between Jazz FM and Serious and is made possible with the support of Yamaha, Aberdeen Asset Management, Taylor’s Port, Mishcon De Reya, Arqiva, CityJet, Audemus Gin and Vinopolis.