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The Golden Ear Awards 2018

Award recipients (top row): Jovino Santos Neto, Randy Halberstadt, D’Vonne Lewis, Jacqueline Tabor, Wally Shoup. Michael Brockman.
(Bottom row): Rob Homan, Andrew Morrill, Marina Albero, Victor Nguyen, Drew Pine, Rob Granfelt. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

Inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame

Bob Hammer
Wally Shoup
Helen and David Marriott Sr.

NW Recording of the Year

Duende Libre, Drift

NW Acoustic Jazz Ensemble of the Year

Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto

Alternative Jazz Group of the Year

High Pulp

NW Concert of the Year

Maria Schneider w/ the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, November 3, Benaroya Hall

NW Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year

D’Vonne Lewis, drummer

Emerging Artist of the Year

Marina Albero

NW Vocalist of the Year

Jacqueline Tabor

Special Awards

Randy Halberstadt

Reed Ruddy

In recognition of their dedication to the enrichment of the Seattle jazz community

Past Winners

2019201820172016 2015 20142013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • Hall of Fame


The 2018 Golden Ear Awards, celebrating the contributions and achievements in Seattle jazz, were presented at The Royal Room on March 11, 2019. Alex Dugdale’s FADE Quartet opened the evening (Dugdale on saxophone, John Hansen on piano, Greg Feingold on bass, and Max Holmberg on drums), and jazz radio broadcaster Jim Wilke emceed the award ceremony.

Each year, the Golden Ear awards give jazz fans an opportunity to vote for the outstanding musicians, community members and events of the previous year. A call for nominations goes out in January, with a public ballot then distributed by the Earshot Jazz website and publication.

We congratulate all the nominees in this annual look at the region’s vibrant jazz ecology, and thank you, Golden Ear voters, for your participation in recognizing and celebrating all of the incredible talent in the Northwest.

Vocalist of the Year Jacqueline Tabor presents Randy Halberstadt with a Special Award honoring his 40 years at Cornish College of the Arts and contributions as a performer and mentor to the music community. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

“Thank you for saying you can never be too old to emerge, and that a woman musician can have a career after 40,” said Marina Albero as she accepted the award for Emerging Artist of the Year. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

Rob Granfelt, drummer and bandleader of High Pulp, accepts the award for Northwest Alternative Jazz Group. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

“Championing this Spirit, acknowledging it, and rewarding it, benefits each and every one of us. May the Spirit of improvisation keep re-vitalzing itself, and us, with each successive generation,” said Wally Shoup of his induction into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

D’Vonne Lewis accepts the award for Northwest Instrumentalist of the Year, saying “This is not for only myself, but for all of you, and my son Donovan.” Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

Alex Dugdale’s FADE set the vibe before and after the awards. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

Chuck Deardorf presents a special award to Studio X manager and sound engineer, Reed Ruddy. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

Jacqueline Tabor accepts the award for Northwest Vocalist of the Year. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.

Seattle Jazz Repertory members Randy Halberstadt, D’Vonne Lewis, and Michael Brockman pose with their respective awards. SRJO received the Northwest Concert of the Year Award for their performance with Maria Schneider on November 3 at Benaroya Hall. Photo by Daniel Sheehan.


About the Golden Ear Awards

Earshot Jazz initiated the Golden Ear Awards in 1990 to recognize the accomplishments of Seattle jazz artists over the previous year, and to induct significant members of the jazz community into the local Jazz Hall of Fame. Over the years, the award categories have shifted slighty, but the essence of the process has remained the same.

Have someone you’d like to nominate for the next Golden Ear Awards?

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