The Musicians’ Company is delighted to announce the winner of the Musicians’ Company Young Jazz Musician Award, 2019 is vocalist Sahra Gure. The competition was this year open to jazz vocalists for the first time since 2013.

Nominations for the final were made by many of the UK’s leading jazz musicians, music conservatoires and universities and the Company’s Jazz Committee selected five of the most outstanding young vocal artists to perform during yesterday evening’s final in the Pizza Express Soho Jazz Club.

The finalists presented an outstanding evening of music-making with a band led by Freeman of the Musicians Company and 1997 Young Jazz Musician winner, saxophonist, Tim Garland and featuring two other former award winners: Shane Forbes (drums, 2009) and Adam King (bass, 2015) – plus special guest John Turville on piano.  With the help of the audience’s vote, the winner was selected for this prestigious award at the end of the evening and the Master of The Musicians Company, Michael Lewin, presented Sahre Gure with the magnificent bronze winner’s medal. The winner also receives £1,000 and a further £600 for the chance to perform with her band as part of the Company’s jazz programme during the coming year.

Sahra Gure receives her award from the Master (photo by Grace Owen)

The finalists were:

Ellie Bignall

Sahra Gure – Winner

Luca Manning

Liselotte Östblom

Jessica Radcliffe

Sahra Gure is a Berlin-born, London-based vocalist who works across a border of genres. Born to a Somali father and German mother, Sahra grew up surrounded by different cultures and sounds that shaped her character and musical personality. Sahra began her musical life as a classical violinist. It wasn’t till she was 14, when she joined the Aldeburgh Young Musician program, that she discovered her love and passion for singing. Sahra was able to study with Brigitte Beraha, Cleveland Watkiss, Pete Churchill, Norma Winstone and many more before accepting a scholarship to study Jazz Performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance where she became the 2019 Jazz representative for the gold medal award held at Queen Elizabeth Hall. Despite her tender age of 22, her mature and adaptable approach to singing has seen Sahra work with the likes of Orphy Robinson, Dele Sosimi, Cleveland Watkiss, Ashley Henry, Tori Handsley, Mark Mondesir and Kishon Kahn to name a few and performing at London Jazz Festival, Havana Jazz Festival, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Dimensions Festival, WOMAD and many more.