JJA Jazz Awards announced in 28 categories.

The results are in – or at least those pertaining to musicianship. The Jazz Journalists Association today announced the winners in the 28 music categories of its 17^th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards.

The big winners for 2013 included saxophonist Wayne Shorter, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and Ryan Truesdell. Saxophonist Sonny Rollins was named "Emeritus Jazz Artist – Beyond Voting," which means he’s won so many times in various categories (artist of the year, saxophonist  of the year, album of the year, etc.) that he is now exempt from the balloting.

Full details and all category winners are posted here.

Shorter was voted the Award for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz and for Soprano Saxophonist of the Year. The Wayne Shorter Quartet , featuring pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade, was named Best Small Ensemble.

Smith was named Jazz Musician of the Year and Trumpeter of the Year, partly in recognition of his album Ten Freedom Summers. That album was a Best Record nominee.

The Best Record of the Year award went to Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans, the debut album of bandleader Truesdell, whose Gil Evans Project was named Best Large Ensemble of the Year.

Gregory Porter and Luciana Souza won the male and female vocalist categories.
Winners of the JJA's Jazz Awards for excellence in journalism will be announced June 19 at an event at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City.

Winners of the JJA Jazz Awards are determined through a two-stage voting process, limited to the association's 300 professional members.