Sarah McKenzie’s We Could Be Lovers and James Morrison’s A to Z of Jazz were announced as winners at last night’s Australian Jazz Bell Awards ceremony in Melbourne.

Sarah McKenzie’s album We Could Be Lovers won the Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album Award. We Could Be Lovers is Sarah’s third album with the ABC. It was recorded in New York and produced by Brian Bacchus (Gregory Porter), and follows Don’t Tempt Me and Close Your Eyes, the latter of which won the 2012 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album. Sarah features as both pianist and vocalist alongside an international band, performing her own compositions as well as her distinctive new arrangements of classic jazz songs.

James Morrison won the Best Australian Traditional Jazz Album Award for A to Z of Jazz, recorded with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conductor Benjamin Northey and vocalist Hetty Kate. The album takes the listener on a panoramic journey from 1920s Dixieland to the 1970s and jazz fusion, with each work introduced by James – who also plays piano, trumpet, trombone, and soprano, alto and tenor saxophones. The album was recorded live in concert by ABC Classic FM.

ABC Jazz extends congratulations to James and Sarah, and to all of the nominees and winners.

For more details, and full lists of the winners and nominees, visit http://www.bellawards.org/