The winners of the 2021 Jazz Awards were announced at the opening celebration of the Wellington Jazz Festival on June 8. 

Wellington-jazz octet The Jac received the Tūī for Best Jazz Artist for their album ‘A Gathering’, beating out two other finalists, Lucien Johnson and Unwind for the 2021 AMA award. The Jac had previously been finalists for the same award back in 2015 with their first album ‘Nerve’, released on Rattle.

Composer and saxophonist Lucien Johnson did get to take home a 2021 trophy, winning the APRA Best Jazz Composition award went for his track Blue Rain – a standout from his spiritual jazz album ‘Wax///Wane’. The other finalist compositions were by Anita Schwabe and (The Jac’s guitarist) Callum Allardice.