Congratulations to The 2021 Clifford Brown Jazz Award Winners

The content of this post comes from a press release from the City of Wilmington...

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Cultural Affairs Director Tina Betz congratulated the winners of the 2021 Clifford Brown Jazz Awards presented at Cityfest, Inc.’s inaugural Clifford Brown International Jazz Day Concert on Friday, April 30, 2021. 

This year’s awardee for the Clifford Brown Top Jazz Presenter Award is the True Blue Jazz Festival; of the Clifford Brown Advocacy, Volunteerism, & Philanthropy in Jazz Award is Hortense Priest (bestowed posthumously); for the Clifford Brown Young & Swingin’ Award is Maya Belardo; and for the Clifford Brown Legacy Award is Tony “Big Cat” Smith. 

The Clifford Brown Festival Band, led by Gerald Chavis.
Photo by Moonloop Photography.

The awards ceremony and concert, held virtually and in person at the Delaware Theater Company, featured performances by trumpeter Terell Stafford and the Clifford Brown Festival Band led by Gerald Chavis as part of the City of Wilmington’s International Jazz Day Festivities.

“We believe that music and the arts are extremely important contributors to recovering from the personal, artistic, and economic pandemic-related stressors of this past year,” said Betz. “With that and the continuing loosening of COVID restrictions in mind, we are planning to return to Rodney Square on August 4-8, 2021 for the 34th Annual Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. It is important to note that the dates are subject to change or the Festival cancelled in response to changing State public health mandates.”

Clifford Brown Year Round is presented by Cityfest, Inc. and the City of Wilmington with generous support from The Delaware Theatre Company, The Delaware Division of the Arts, WRTI 90.1 FM, The Kenny Family Foundation, Delmarva Power, An Excelon Company, Gerald Chavis Music, Flux Creative Consulting, The Christina Cultural Arts Center, and The Delaware Contemporary.

Proceeds from the Clifford Brown Year Round series support programs like the Urban Artist Exchange, the Arts Work Summer Youth Apprenticeship Program, and the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival.