The National Jazz Awards have announced five early-career young guitarists as its finalists for 2022. They will compete for the Award at a performance at the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues on 29 October. This year, Harry Tinney (VIC), Joshua Meader (NSW), Julius Schwing (TAS), Theo Carbo (VIC) and Peter Koopman (NSW) are vying for first place in the Award’s 32nd year.

Finalist Harry Tinney. Photo supplied.

The annual National Jazz Awards pivot on a different instrument each year, also offering awards for piano, bass, drums, saxophone, brass and vocals. Participants must be under the age of 36, and are asked to submit recordings of their performances of a ballad, a blues piece and an Australian work. 

This year’s judges are eminent Australian guitarists Stephen Magnusson, who was a co-winner in the 2002 award, Fran Swinn and Carl Dewhurst.

“The panel would like to thank all the guitarists who submitted entries to this year’s National Jazz Awards and congratulate you on your outstanding playing and commitment to this art form.  It was a difficult task to narrow it down to the...