22 Oct Yazz Ahmed Named Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year
Trumpeter and composer Yazz Ahmed has just been named Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2026 Parliamentary Jazz Awards in London. The award recognises the achievements of one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British jazz, whose music blends jazz with Arab musical traditions in a style of her own, characterised by experimentation, rich atmospheres and expressive power.
Internationally recognised for her innovative approach to trumpet and composition, Yazz Ahmed has made a name for herself through her ability to combine diverse cultural and sonic influences, pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz. Her work stands out for its immersive soundscapes and its ability to bring together improvisation, cultural identity and a powerful emotional dimension, establishing her as one of the most compelling figures on the UK jazz scene today.
Organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG), the Parliamentary Jazz Awards annually honour musicians, projects, venues and organisations that contribute to the vitality and diversity of jazz in the UK. The 2026 edition once again celebrated the breadth of the British jazz scene, recognising artists across generations and a wide range of fields, from performance and composition to music education and outreach.
The ceremony took place at World Heart Beat in London, with support from the Musicians’ Union, the Royal Society of Musicians and UK Music. By honouring Yazz Ahmed, the awards once again highlight the creativity and diversity of an artist who has helped redefine the relationship between jazz and other musical traditions, while also incorporating electronic elements, further cementing her place on the international music scene.
Live, Yazz Ahmed performs as part of a quartet and has already won over audiences in Portugal, appearing at venues and festivals including Ciclo Mundos (Teatro da Trindade, Lisbon), PDL Jazz (Ponta Delgada), Caldas.Jazz, Theatro Circo (Braga), SeixalJazz and Jazz ao Centro (Coimbra). At the latter two festivals, she presented her latest album, A Paradise in the Hold, which Uncut magazine describes as comprising “ten tracks of boundary-transcending, magnetic jazz”.