Announcing the finalists for the 2025 APRA Best Jazz Composition Award
Congratulations to our three finalists this year: Cory Champion, Daniel Beban, and Jake Baxendale.
We're delighted to celebrate the Aotearoa jazz community who continue to showcase a wide range of compositional talents. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the APRA Best Jazz Composition Award being presented annually in Aotearoa. This year's finalists represent the inventive spirit of contemporary jazz, blending evocative imagery, philosophical reflections, and rhythmic innovation.
The winner will be announced at a private celebration in Te Whanganui-a-Tara on October 14 and will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Finalists:
- ‘Cascade d’Ars’ composed by Cory Champion, performed by Clear Path Ensemble
- ‘Children of the Way’ composed by Jake Baxendale, performed by Waypeople (with words by Ursula K. Le Guin)
- ‘Tone Clocks’ composed by Daniel Beban, performed by Devils Gate Outfit
More about the finalists
The finalists and winner were decided by an anonymous panel of ten judges who are active members of the Aotearoa jazz community. Learn more about the APRA Best Jazz Composition Award here.
Cory Champion - Cascade d'Ars performed by Clear Path Ensemble
Cory Champion is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist from Pōneke, Wellington, now based in Melbourne. Cory is nominated this year for his composition ‘Cascade d’Ars’ performed by his group Clear Path Ensemble. ‘Cascade d’Ars’ references a waterfall in the Pyrenees Mountain ranges. Laced vibraphone and glockenspiel motifs create a foundation for chime passages supported by light guitar, percussion and the spacious double bass, with the piece flowing in a liminal space between American minimalism and bossa-nova. The piece is performed by Cory (drums, vibraphone, congas, glockenspiel, chimes, percussion, guitar, MS-20), Johnny Lawrence (double bass), Mike Isaacs (bass clarinet), and Louisa Williamson (flute).
Jake Baxendale - 'Children of the Way' performed by Waypeople
Jake Baxendale is a Pōneke/Wellington based saxophonist and composer, born in the UK and raised in Mohua/Golden Bay. ‘Children of the Way’ is the final piece written for his Waypeople project, a musical exploration of the classic Chinese philosophical text Tao Te Ching. 'Children of the Way’ introduces a sense of lightness, fun and danceability to the project, drawing on two verses from Ursula K. Le Guin’sTao Te Ching entitled 'Children of the Way' and 'Fame and Fortune'. The lyrics speak of treading lightly and avoiding the burdens of status and ambition. “The Way does all the heavy lifting for us, whereas hoarders, graspers, and self-promoters eventually lose everything,” Jake explains. “Exactly the message I needed after the months and years of work I spent on this, the first musical project under my own name!” The piece is especially notable for its guzheng parts, performed by Jia Ling (Jessie), mirroring the vocals and saxophones, underpinning rhythmic vamp sections.
Daniel Beban - 'Tone Clocks' performed by Devils Gate Outfit
Daniel Beban has been a central figure in Wellingtonʼs creative music community since the early 2000s. His backstory includes composing and performing with internationally acclaimed touring acts, releasing recordings on NZ and international labels, creating sound sculptures and sculptural instruments, producing radio documentaries, researching and writing, and curating concerts and festivals. Danielʼs practice explores the sonic possibilities of all he encounters. Many of his instruments are created from found objects and often incorporate recycled materials. 'Tone Clocks' was written for the Devils Gate Outfit, a seven-piece creative jazz ensemble for which Daniel plays guitar. In ‘Tone Clocks’, the group plays in three different tempos simultaneously before locking into a groove for the solo sections, interrupted by a series of spaced-out chords and melodic fragments. The title is a nod to NZ composer Jenny McLeod (1941-2022).