The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) has announced the nominees for the 2026 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Lewisham Music’s flagship jazz programme, Jazz Hang, delivered in partnership with Trinity Laban and Tomorrow’s Warriors has been nominated for the Music Hubs and Schools Music Services Award.
Celebrating its 21st year, the Parliamentary Jazz Awards honour the breadth of talent and diversity within the UK jazz scene across nine award categories. The Music Hubs and Schools Music Services Award has been introduced for 2026, supported by the Musicians’ Union with assistance from Music Mark and SoundStorm.
Lewisham Music has worked for decades to inspire and support young people to discover jazz and feel better connected with the vibrant jazz scene in Lewisham. In recent years, this work has been galvanised by a flagship jazz programme Jazz Hang, delivered in partnership with Trinity Laban and Tomorrow’s Warriors. Since 2023, Jazz Hang has connected over 250 young instrumental players (aged 11-16) with high-quality learning and performance opportunities led by leading jazz educators from both partners. More broadly, the programme has supported jazz development in a range of Lewisham schools.
Neil Quinton, Interim Head of Children and Young People (Music) said: “We’re in this for the long-term, seeking ways to transform young people’s lives through music and build genuine pathways for them. And how better to achieve that than through a partnership such as this, where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts! Huge thanks and respect to our amazing colleagues at Lewisham Music and Tomorrow’s Warrirors.”
In other categories, Trinity Laban alum Deschanel Gordon has been nominated for the Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year award and Knats, comprised of alumni and current students, have been nominated for Jazz Ensemble of the Year award. Professor of Jazz and Saxophone Jean Toussaint has been nominated for a Services to Jazz Award.
The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) currently has over 70 members from the House of Commons and House of Lords across all political parties. They aim to encourage wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the jazz industry and to promote jazz as a musical form, raising its profile inside and outside Parliament.