List of 2020s Down Beat Poll winners
This is a list of the poll winners (Readers / Readers Poll and Critics / Critics Poll ) for Down Beat magazine in the 2020s.
2020
Critic Poll
The results of the 68th annual Down Beat Critics Poll are listed ( Rising Star in brackets)
- Hall of Fame: Jimmy Heath , Carmen McRae , Mildred Bailey
- Jazz Musician of the Year: Terri Lyne Carrington ( Shabaka Hutchings )
- Arranger: Maria Schneider ( Sullivan Fortner )
- Composer: Maria Schneider ( JD Allen III )
- Big Band: Maria Schneider Orchestra ( Ralph Peterson ’s Gen-Next Big Band)
- Jazz group: Terri Lyne Carrington Social Science (Shabaka and the Ancestors)
- Jazz album: Terri Lyne Carrington - Waiting Game (Motéma)
- Producer: Manfred Eicher ( Makaya McCraven )
- Label: ECM Records
- Singer: Cécile McLorin Salvant ( Veronica Swift )
- Singer: Gregory Porter ( Leslie Odom Jr. )
- Trumpet: Ambrose Akinmusire ( Jaimie Branch )
- Trombone: Wycliffe Gordon ( Nick Finzer )
- Soprano saxophone: Jane Ira Bloom ( Yuval Cohen )
- Alto saxophone: Rudresh Mahanthappa ( Lakecia Benjamin )
- Tenor saxophone: Charles Lloyd ( James Brandon Lewis )
- Baritone saxophone: James Carter ( Josh Sinton )
- Clarinet: Anat Cohen ( Aurora Nealand )
- Flute: Nicole Mitchell ( Anna Webber )
- Piano: Kenny Barron / Kris Davis (same number of votes), Rising Star: Aaron Diehl
- Keyboard: Herbie Hancock ( Zaccai Curtis )
- Organ: Joey DeFrancesco ( Akiko Tsuruga )
- Guitar: Mary Halvorson ( Lage Lund )
- Bass: Christian McBride ( Ben Street )
- E-Bass: Steve Swallow ( Tal Wilkenfeld )
- Violin: Regina Carter ( Sarah Bernstein )
- Drums: Brian Blade (Makaya McCraven)
- Percussion: Zakir Hussain ( Chad Taylor )
- Vibraphone: Stefon Harris ( Sasha Berliner )
- Rarely played instrument: Tomeka Reid , violin ( Brandee Younger , harp)
- Beyond Artist / Group : Dr. John
- Blues artist or group: Gary Clark junior
- Historic album of the year: John Coltrane : Blue World (Impulse!)
- Blues album of the year: Robert Cray : That's What I Heard (Nozzle / ThirtyTigers)
- Beyond Album : Bill Frisell : Harmony .