JESS GILLAM WINS ‘BEST SPECIALIST MUSIC PROGRAMME’ AT THE ARIAS (AUDIO & RADIO INDUSTRY AWARDS) FOR BBC Radio 3 ‘THIS CLASSICAL LIFE’


Thursday 5 March 2020, London – Jess Gillam, chart-topping saxophonist and now award-winning broadcaster, accepted her gold award for ‘Best Specialist Music Programme’ for her weekly radio series on BBC Radio 3, ‘This Classical Life’ at the 2020 ARIAs last night.

Fighting off stiff competition from Gilles Peterson’s Radio 6 Music show and Absolute Radio Stories, Jess joined fellow radio presenters Greg James (Radio 1 Breakfast Show), Emma Barnett (BBC Radio 5 Live) and Mistajam (BBC Radio 1Xtra) as GOLD winners across 23 categories.

Accepting her award from broadcaster Zoe Ball onstage at the London Palladium, Jess spoke confidently and with her characteristic enthusiasm for classical music: For me, music is about reaching as many people as I can… I’m very passionate about encouraging the next generation, making sure we can keep on sharing this hope and joy that [music] creates. These are the things that bring us hope, and we need them more than ever.”

Speaking after her win, Jess said she was very surprised and absolutely delighted to have won for ‘This Classical Life’, thanking her listeners, guests and the production team at BBC Radio 3 for their guidance and hard work. In reviewing the show, The Guardian noted that ‘there are many, more established presenters who lack Gillam’s warmth and impressive ability.’

On Thursday 28 November at The HopBarn, Jess Gillam will perform a special concert to raise money for Awards for Young Musicians (AYM). This special event has been offered due to Jess Gillam’s continued support and patronage to Awards for Young Musicians (AYM). Through their means-tested programmes AYM support more than 400 talented young musicians from low income families per year, with funding and other help.
 
“AYM’s practical support and their belief in me throughout my teenage years was invaluable. Music has the power to transform lives and AYM recognise that.”
 
For this concert, Jess will be accompanied by pianist James Baillieu, who himself is a celebrated musician and has received numerous awards for his song-writing, whilst performing across the UK, Europe and the US. All proceeds from this concert will go to AYM. www.a-y-m.org.uk
More information is available on the ‘Concerts‘ page.

Saxophonist Jess Gillam has been selected as one of WQXR’s ’19 for 19′, celebrating outstanding talent in the field of classical music. Anyone that’s been following Jess’ social media recently will know that last month she popped over to America. This included a performance at the launch of New York’s WQXR classical music radio station’s ’19 for 19′, “an annual list of the most exciting classical artists on the planet”.

’19 for 19′, is described by WQXR as “a group of artists we love that includes long-time heroes, established favorites and newcomers set for stardom”. You can read more about ’19 for 19 and the artists selected here.

Jess has been nominated for The Sound of Classical poll at the Classic Brits 2018! “The future is very much on the Classic BRIT Awards’ agenda with the launch of The Sound Of Classical poll to promote the best emerging artists and ones-to-watch in classical music. Aged 30 or under and tipped for a great future, the winner will be chosen by an expert panel and revealed at the ceremony in June.”

“Awards for Young Musicians are delighted to welcome Award winning saxophonist Jess Gillam, an Alumna of our Awards programme, as our newest Patron of the charity. She joins a team of star studded patrons including AYM alumnus Duncan Ward, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Thomas Gould, Tasmin Little, Milos Karadaglic, Paul Lewis CBE, Shabaka Hutchings, Julian Lloyd Webber, Ksenija Sidorova and Sir Simon Rattle CBE.”

For more information please visit https://www.a-y-m.org.uk