Mzantsi Jazz Awards 2019: All the winners

The relatively unknown Zarcia beat out stiff competition from albums by Mandla Mlangeni's Tune Recreation Committee and The Mill, as well as Bokani Dyer Trio, whose Neo Native was lauded widely by critics for its Afrocentric fusion style after its release last year.

The awards ceremony took place at the multi-purpose World of Yamaha venue in Johannesburg on Saturday and coincided with National Women's Day on 9 August.

The Best Contemporary Jazz Album Award went to Gabisile Motuba's Goddess of Creation while Ndivhuho NL took home the Best Jazz Song Award for his composition ‘Thungununu Nemulambo’.

This year the public was asked to vote for the Best Jazz Album, Best Foreign Jazz Album/Artist, Best Club/Venue for Jazz and Best Radio Station Playing Jazz categories, while a jury selected the winners in the remaining categories based on creativity, technical competence and contribution to the jazz industry.

Below are the winners:

Best Jazz Album

• The Q Signature – Andile Q
• Fabric – The Unity Band
• Neo Native – Bokani Dyer Trio
• 24 Strathay – Talie Monin
• Closer To Home – Sibusiso ‘Mash’ Mashiloane
• Africa Grooves With Tune Recreation – Tune Recreation Committee
• Therapy – Zarcia
• Somandla – Mandisi Ddyantyi
• Movement – Ayanda Sikade
• When the Wind Blows – The Mill
• The Consolidation of Sihle Zungu – Sihle Zungu

Best Jazz Song

• ‘Thula Mtwana’ – Talie Monin
• ‘Thungununu Nemulambo’ – Ndivhuho NL
• ‘Closer To Home’ – Sibusiso 'Mash' Mashiloane
• ‘Lefatse’ – Spha Mdlalose 
• ‘Being a Woman’ – Titi Luzipho
• ‘Trails’ – The Unity Band (BS6)

Best Foreign Jazz Album or Artist

• Dominic Egli 'Pluarism – Azania in Mind
• Eric Dolphy – Musical Prophet: The Expanded N.Y. Studio Sessions
• Branford Marsalis – The Secret Between the Shadow and the Souls
• Etuk Obong – Tales of Life & Miracles
• Que Vola – Que Vola (No Format!)
• Swindle – No More Normal
• Kenya – Christine Kamau

Best Radio Station Playing Jazz

• Alex FM
• All Jazz Radio Za
• Phalaphala FM
• JAZZUARY FM
• Metro FM All Jazz
• Radio CCFM 107.5 FM
• Kofifi FM

Best Club/Venue for Jazz

• Innovation Jazz Club
• Winnies
• Special Effect Jazz Club
• The Jazz Doctors

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

• 24 Strathay – Talie Monin
• Thungununu Nemulambo – Ndivhuho NL
• Closer to Home – Sibusiso ‘Mash’ Mashiloane
• Goddess of Creation – Gabisile Motuba
• Three Improvisations – Abraham Mennen ft Ariel Zamonsky
• African Groove With – Tune Recreation Committee
• Movement – Ayanda Sikade
• Somandla – Mandisi Dyantyi 
• The Consolidation of Sihle Zungu – Sihle Zungu
• When the Wind Blow – The Mill 
• Angels and Demons – Carlo Mombelli
• Q Signature – Andile Q
• Fabric – The Unity Band

Best Traditional Jazz Album

• Khidola ka Molaponi’ – Khirishane
• Therapy – Zarcia
• Matjale – Thabang Tabane

Best Female Jazz Artist

• Gabisile Motuba
• Titi Luzipho Zarcia
• Spha Mdlalose
• Talie Monin

Best Male Jazz Artist

• Andile Q Ndivhuho
• Sibusiso ‘Mash’ Mashiloane
• Benjamin Jephta
• Carlo Mombelli
• Sihle Zungu
• Thabang Tabane
• Ayanda Sikade

Best Newcomer in Jazz

• Ndivhuho NL
• Spha Mdlalose
• Andile Q
• Thabang Tabane
• The Unity Band

Best International Jazz Collaboration

• ‘When the Wind Blows’ – The Mill with Mandla Mlangeni
• ‘Azania in Mind’ – Dominic Egli’s Plurism with Feya Faku and Siya Makuzeni

Lifetime Achievement Awards

• Khaya Mahlangu