Leeds Conservatoire is celebrating its Jazz department, and two closely connected individuals, being shortlisted in the 2026 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
Organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) and now in its 21st year, the Parliamentary Jazz Awards celebrate and recognise the vibrancy, diversity, breadth and talent of the jazz scene across the UK.
Browsing records including Ella Fitzgerald. Photo from Leeds Conservatoire Archive
Jazz at Leeds Conservatoire has been shortlisted for this year’s Jazz Education Award. This recognition is linked to decades of delivering pioneering jazz education. Jazz has been part of Leeds Conservatoire’s story since its early days. Founded in 1965, the institution introduced a diploma in Jazz and Light Music within two years of its foundation. It continued to lead the way in jazz education, introducing the Jazz Studies BA in 1993, the first Jazz degree in Europe.
Across six decades, this innovative approach has helped establish Leeds Conservatoire as an important centre for jazz education, nurturing generations of musicians, composers and educators who have gone on to make significant contributions to the UK and international jazz scene. The 2026 Parliamentary Jazz Awards shortlist provides a striking reflection of that legacy, with the institution itself recognised for jazz education alongside two individuals affiliated with the programme.
Olivia Cuttill, a 2023 Jazz graduate, is shortlisted for Jazz Newcomer of the Year. A trumpeter, composer and bandleader, Olivia has established herself as an exciting emerging voice in contemporary British jazz. In addition, Nikki Iles is shortlisted for the Services to Jazz Award, recognising her outstanding contribution to jazz in the UK. Nikki has a long-standing connection to the conservatoire. Jamil Sheriff, prolific artist and current Head of School of Music and Education at Leeds Conservatoire, cites Nikki as a big influence, having taught him as a teenager when the institution was known as Leeds College of Music.
Reflecting on this year’s Parliamentary Jazz Awards shortlist, Jamil said: “Our Jazz department, one of our graduates and a hugely influential figure in our jazz community making the Parliamentary Jazz Awards shortlist is a wonderful reflection of our pioneering legacy.
“From the diploma we launched in the 1960s to the bold and performance-led Jazz degree we offer today, our commitment has always been to give artists the space, skills and confidence to develop their own voices. We are incredibly proud to see our efforts acknowledged in this way.”
The winners of the 2026 Parliamentary Jazz Awards will be announced at World Heart Beat in London on Tuesday 13 October.
