The 15th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, affectionately known to the jazz world as the Sassy Awards, is the most prestigious jazz vocal competition in the United States and one of the most respected in the world. Hosted by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, the competition draws applicants from around the globe and has an extraordinary track record of identifying genuinely significant talents before the rest of the industry catches up. Past participants who went on to major careers include Samara Joy, Jazzmeia Horn, and Cyrille Aimée, three of the most celebrated jazz vocalists of the current generation. The competition is not a television talent show. It is a serious, peer-judged evaluation of artistic merit, conducted by some of the most respected figures in vocal jazz, and winning it carries genuine professional weight.

The competition is named for Sarah “Sassy” Vaughan, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1924 and grew up to become one of the most technically accomplished and emotionally powerful jazz singers who ever lived. Her voice spanned four octaves. Her rhythmic instincts were those of a master instrumentalist. Her ability to reshape a melody while honoring its emotional core was something no other vocalist of her era could match, and most who came after her couldn’t either. Naming this competition after her is both a tribute and a standard. The judges are looking for singers who have something of that same combination: technical command, personal feeling, and the specific ability to swing.

The application is entirely digital and requires the following materials to be complete at the time of submission:

• Headshot: At least one professional photograph.
• Artist Biography: Between 200 and 300 words describing your background, musical influences, and artistic direction.
• Audio or Video Samples: A minimum of three distinct tracks demonstrating the range of your work. Links from YouTube, Vimeo, or similar platforms are accepted.
• Portfolio Links: Any relevant social media profiles, personal websites, or streaming pages you wish the panel to review.

The competition is open to solo vocalists worldwide who are at least 18 years of age at the time of submission. The one significant restriction is that applicants cannot currently be signed to a major record label or bound by an exclusive recording contract. The competition is specifically designed for developing artists who have not yet received major label backing, which is what makes it such a meaningful opportunity for genuinely emerging talent.

Contestants are judged on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance presence, individuality, artistic interpretation, and their overall ability to swing. That last criterion matters as much as any of the others. This is a jazz vocal competition, and the judges are listening for singers who understand what swing actually means, not as a genre label but as a rhythmic and emotional approach to music that requires real mastery to produce convincingly.

Following the submission window, a panel will narrow the global applicant pool to the Top Five Finalists, who will perform live on the NJPAC stage in November. The evening also features a special guest performance by last year’s winner, April May Webb.

The Improv Café is the radio station that only plays live Jazz, live Big Band, and live Swing, and the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition is one of the clearest expressions we know of what this music’s future looks like. The singers who have come through this competition over fifteen years have gone on to produce some of the live recordings we broadcast, and the singers entering it tomorrow will produce the recordings we broadcast fifteen years from now. The voice is the oldest instrument in jazz, and it is in excellent hands with the artists this competition continues to discover and celebrate. If you have the voice, enter. If you know someone who does, send them this page. The deadline is tomorrow at 5:00 PM Eastern.