NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – The ASCAP Foundation announced the recipients of the 2024 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards.
The awards, which were established in 2002 and named after the legendary jazz trumpeter Herb Alpert, recognize up-and-coming young jazz composers who represent the next generation of the genre. The recipients, who receive cash prizes, are selected through a national juried competition with composers Roxy Coss, ELEW / Eric Lewis and Kavita Shah serving as the judges for 2024.
The 2024 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award recipients:
Dave Adewumi, age 29 of New York, NY (Manchester, NH); Eric Banitt, age 24 of Marquette, MI; Sonya Belaya, age 29 of Brooklyn, NY (Melbourne, FL); Joe Block, age 24 of New York, NY (Philadelphia, PA); Stephen Byth, age 29 of Ridgewood, NY (Melbourne, Australia); Amanda Ekery, age 29 of Brooklyn, NY (El Paso, TX); Alden Hellmuth, age 29 of Los Angeles, CA (Hartford, CT); Joseph Herbst, age 29 of New York, NY (Easley, SC); Tom Kelley, age 30 of Brooklyn, NY (Canton, CT); Alex Laurenzi, age 25 of New York, NY (Mountain Lakes, NJ); Sergio de Miguel, age 21 of Chicago, IL (Vigo, Spain); Daiki Nakajima, age 21 of San Jose, CA (Tokyo, Japan); Sebastian Rios, age 27 of New York, NY (Miami, FL); Yvonne Rogers, age 24 of Brooklyn, NY (Penobscot, ME); and Immanuel Wilkins, age 26 of New York, NY (Philadelphia, PA).
Composers receiving Honorable Mention this year are: Joey Curreri, age 23 of New York, NY (Los Angeles, CA); Quinn Dymalski, age 25 of Los Angeles, CA (Park City, UT); Arta Jēkabsone, age 29 of Brooklyn, NY (Kandava, Latvia); Zach Luginbill, age 20 of Eau Claire, WI; Rockwell Shapiro, age 19 of Baltimore, MD (Chicago, IL); Denin Slage-Koch, age 28 of Knoxville, TN (Richland, WA); Will Tucker, age 18 of New York, NY (Larchmont, NY); April Varner, age 27 of New York, NY (Toledo, OH) and Kevin Zapata, age 27 of Ft. Worth, TX (Nederland, TX).
“The Herb Alpert Foundation’s continued support of this program is paving the way for emerging jazz composers,” said ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams. “These talented young music creators are infusing the ever-evolving jazz landscape with endless new creative possibilities, and we are honored to be a part of their musical journey.”
“The ASCAP Foundation is proud to recognize these up-and-coming music creators as they continue to cultivate their craft,” said ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton. “For over a decade, we’ve been able to uplift aspiring jazz composers with the generous support of The Herb Alpert Foundation. We look forward to continuing to discover, celebrate, and nurture the musical talent of tomorrow together.”
The awards are made possible by a financial commitment from the Herb Alpert Foundation, with additional support provided by The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund.
