Awards and Commissions
2023 Composer in Residence with the NDR Big Band in Hamburg
2022 Awarded British Empire Medal in the Queen's New Years Honours for services to music
2022 Nominated as most inspirational teacher /composer Music Expo ( awaiting result )
2022 Commission Tommy Smith Scottish National Jazz Orchestra for Kurt Elling
2022 Commission the UMO Jazz Orchestra , Finland
2021 Winner of the best composition in the Ivor Novello Awards
2020 Winner Covid Commission From the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers
2020 Winner of the Seattle Jazz Orchestra best Composition Award
2020 Winner of the Best Ensemble Award with the Jazz Orchestra in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards
2019 Ivor’s Gold Badge Award for exceptional contribution to Music
2018 Nominated Jazz Educator of the Year, Parliamentary Jazz Awards
2018 Nominated Best Pianist in The British Jazz Awards
2018 Commission “Wild Oak “ The National Youth Jazz Orchestra
2018 Commission “Awakening “ for the Emulsion Festival
2017 Best Pianist in 2017 British Jazz Awards
2016 Oxford University Press Jazz violin and piano, Jazz in Autumn
2015 Oxford University Press "Grooves for Two" Jazz piano duets
2015 Cotton Reel and two arrangements commissioned for the classical list C ABRSM Piano syllabus (additionally recording the list C pieces for the exemplar recordings)
2015 Piano Mix (ABRSM) arrangements in books 1,2 and 3 as part of a collection of pieces for a new series
2015 "Blink" Commissioned by The National Youth Jazz Collective
2014-15 Commission new book of originals and arrangements for solo piano and another for Jazz violin and piano (Oxford University Press ) "Jazz in Autumn" and "Jazz on a Winter’s Night"
2014 Runner up in the British Jazz Awards piano category
2012 Nominated in the British Jazz Awards piano category
2012 Commission new book of originals and arrangements for solo piano (Oxford University Press "Jazz in Springtime"
2011 Commission New book of original pieces and arrangements for solo piano (Oxford University Press) "Jazz on a Summers Day "
2011 Commission "Hush" big band piece for The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (Featured in the Proms)
2010 Nomination for Best Ensemble (The Printmakers with Norma Winstone) in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards (Result May 19th 2010)
2010 Nomination for Paul Hamlyn Award for Composition (Result Sep 2010)
2010 Awarded Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (HonARAM)for special contributions to the Academy
2009 Nomination for Paul Hamlyn Award for Composition
2009 Nomination for Parliamentary Jazz Awards
2009 Commission - Oxford University Press “Jazz on A Winter's Night'' 12 arrangements for piano of Christmas music including classics by Mel Torme and Nat Cole but also some English carols such as “In the Bleak Mid Winter” and Peter Warlock's “Balulalow”
2007 Nomination for Paul Hamlyn Award for Composition
2007 Nomination for Parliamentary Jazz Awards
2007 Commission - Oxford University Press. A contemporary piano duet for four hands.
2006 Nomination for an Arts Foundation Fellowship Award for Composition
2006 Three Commissions - Faber Music for “Fingerprints”, new editions of contemporary pieces for flute, cello and alto sax.
2005 Commission - Faber Music 3 pieces for "Fingerprints", the new edition of Contemporary piano pieces
2005 Commission - Tim Garland's Northern Underground Band “Red Ellen”
2002 Award International Association of Jazz Educators Award for outstanding services to jazz education (California '02)
2002 Commission - ABRSM Ensemble piece ,for “Jazz Works” (ABRSM Publishing)
2000-2008 Commissions - The Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music . Many arrangements and original composition in the piano,horns and flute syllabus. (ABRSM publishing)
2002 "ECHO" - a setting for large ensemble and voice of the Christina Rossetti poem - Commissioned by 'New Perspectives'.
2001 "FIRE AND ICE" - a suite for Jazz Quintet inspired by the short stories of A.S Byatt - Commissioned by 'Sheffield Jazz'
1999 "IN ALL MY HOLY MOUNTAIN" - for large ensemble - with poet Roger Garfitt - Commissioned by 'New Perspectives'
1999 "A GENTLE PRAYER" - for Jazz Orchestra - Commissioned by The London Sinfonietta.
1998 "NINE SWALLOWS - NO SUMMER" - for large ensemble - celebrating the work of Barbara Hepworth - Commissioned by the 'New Perspectives' ensemble.
1996 "THE SPIRIT OF BRADFORD" - a large scale folklore piece for Choir and Big Band - featuring Barbara Thompson - Commissioned by 'Yorkshire Youth and Music'.
1996 "ALMA VENUS" - for soprano sax and piano - Commissioned by Rob Buckland and Peter Lawson
1996 Winner of the 'John Dankworth Special Award'- British Jazz Awards.
1994 "THE PRINTMAKERS SUITE" - celebrating the role of Women in Jazz - Commissioned by 'The Creative Jazz Orchestra' (featured on Radio 3)
1993 Commission from Cheshire Libraries and Arts.