JAZZ FEST REACHES FINALE WITH FIVE FINALISTS AT SASSY AWARDS

• By Mabel Pais

The TD JAMES MOODY JAZZ FESTIVAL will have its finale with the top five finalists competing at the 14th annual SARAH VAUGHAN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ VOCAL COMPETITION, also called the ‘SASSY AWARDS.’ Pulled from almost 200 entrants from 27 countries, these gifted young singers represent the next generation of great jazz vocalists. On October 9, 2025 the top five finalists are Diamond Franklin (Philadelphia, PA), Candace Jones (Hollywood, FL), Katie Kortum (New York City), Julia Moscardini (Buenos Aires, Argentina), and Emma Smith (London, England).
On November 23, 2025 starting at 3 PM, the top five finalists will compete on the iconic New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Victoria Theater stage in front of a live audience and before a distinguished panel of judges including TONY-nominated singer/lyricist Ann Hampton Callaway, GRAMMY®-nominated trumpeter Jon Faddis, GRAMMY®-nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist and Artistic Advisor for Jazz Programming at NJPAC Christian McBride, and founding member of The Manhattan Transfer and co-host of WBGO Radio’s ‘Singers Unlimited,’ vocalist Janis Siegel.
SASSY AWARDS COMPETITION
Open to singers over the age of 18, of all genders and nationalities, from anywhere in the world, and not signed by a major label, The SASSY Awards offers outstanding jazz singers a one-of-a-kind platform for embarking on a career in the music business — and offers audience members a chance to discover the jazz stars of tomorrow. Gifted young contestants from around the world are evaluated on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation, and ability to swing.

Past winners include Cyrille Aimée, Jazzmeia Horn, Ashleigh Smith, Arianna Neikrug, Deelee Dubé, Quiana Lynell, Laurin Talese, Samara Joy (GRAMMY® Award winner for Best New Artist 2023), Gabrielle Cavassa and Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim, G. Thomas Allen, Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso, Tyreek McDole, and April May Webb.
The divine Sarah Vaughan — Newark’s greatest musical gift to the world — got her start as the winner of a talent contest. NJPAC honors her legacy every year with the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, the only global jazz vocal contest of its kind, open to all genders and nationalities. This event offers outstanding jazz singers a one-of-a-kind platform for embarking on a career in the music business — and offers audience members a chance to discover the jazz stars of tomorrow.
For more information about The SASSY Awards, visit SarahVaughanCompetition.com.
PROGRAM
HOST
WBGO Radio’s Gary Walker
PERFORMANCE
This special event will also include performances by the 2023 winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition Tyreek McDole.
JUDGES
Gary Walker – host
Ann Hampton Callaway – judge
Jon Faddis – judge
Nnenna Freelon – judge
Christian McBride – judge
Janis Siegel – judge
Tyreek McDole – vocalist
PRIZES
The first-prize winner of The SASSY Awards will receive a $5,000 cash award, second-place $1,500, and third-place $500.
The Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, also known as ‘The SASSY Awards,’ has become one of the top annual vocal competitions in jazz. The competition recalls the humble beginnings of legendary jazz singer/NEA Jazz Master Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) who, back in 1942, was a Newark teenager and winner of an amateur singing contest at the Apollo Theater. That memorable night helped launch the lifework of one of the most successful, influential jazz vocalists in the history of American music.
FINALISTS BIOS
Diamond Franklin is a classically-trained mezzo-soprano vocalist, actor, songwriter and recording artist specializing in jazz, opera, musical theater, R&B and gospel music. A Philadelphia native, Franklin has trained under world-renowned musicians Monette Sudler, Ruth Naomi Floyd and Angel Joy Blue, and has performed onstage with legendary artists Andrea Bocelli and Jon Bon Jovi. Franklin most recently starred as Alice 2 in Opera on Tap Philadelphia’s production of Alice Tierney in the 2025 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Learn more at diamondfranklin.com.
Candace Jones was born into a family of accomplished jazz musicians. Her early musical influences — ranging from John Coltrane and Sarah Vaughan to Stevie Wonder — shaped her into a vocalist with soul, sass and undeniable presence. By 18, she had already earned numerous honors from organizations such as the NAACP and the San Francisco GRAMMY® Choir. At 22, she became a weekly headliner at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem. Her stage career blossomed with lead roles in productions like ‘Dreamgirls,’ ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ and ‘Hair.’ You can follow her at instagram.com/candace_.jones.
Kate Kortum is a Houston-born jazz vocalist with a warm, distinctive sound that seamlessly blends the blues, bebop and Broadway. Kortum issued her debut album ‘Good Woman’ (2023) to critical and streaming acclaim, surpassing 3.5 million streams for its imaginative reworkings of jazz standards from a female perspective. Her sophomore release ‘Wild Woman’ (2025) follows, continuing her fresh, story-driven approach to bebop, blues and ‘The Great American Songbook.’ A graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and the Juilliard School, Kortum has appeared at Mezzrow, SXSW, Birdland, Blue Note and Dizzy’s, collaborating with Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen, Bryan Carter, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Learn more at katekortum.com.
Julia Moscardini, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a singer who focuses on jazz and Latin American (especially Argentinian) music. In Buenos Aires, she studied with renowned local jazz musicians Mariano Loiácono and Ernesto Jodos, and since 2015 travels to New York annually to study with her mentor master Sheila Jordan and others. For the last 10 years, she has led her own group and has recorded two albums, ‘Stablemates’ (2019) and ‘Mood Indigo’ (2022). She will soon release a live record with pianist Ernesto Jodos. She performs at jazz venues and festivals across the country and abroad (Chile, Uruguay and Brazil) and has been on stage with Antonio Hart, Carl Allen, Cyrus Chestnut, and more. Anthony Wonsey, Lonnie Plaxico, Rudy Roystone, Russell Malone and Steve Davis. She teaches at the Escuela de Música Contemporánea (part of Berklee College of Music’s International Network) in Buenos Aires. Follow her at juliamoscardini.bandcamp.com/community.
Emma Smith is one of the most talked-about voices in jazz. She has collaborated with major artists including Michael Bublé, The Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum and the Jeremy Pelt / Wayne Escoffery Quintet. Smith’s accolades include widespread success with vocal harmony groups. The Puppini Sisters, a four-year stint as a BBC Radio 3 broadcaster and resident vocalist with the ‘Ronnie Scott’s All Stars.’ Following a triumphant tour with Postmodern Jukebox, she was named Jazz Act of the Year at the 2024 Jools Holland Boisdale Music Awards, and was one of only two singers to receive the prestigious Worshipful Company of Musicians Medal. Her solo debut ‘Meshuga Baby’ was a breakout success and her new album, ‘Bitter Orange,’ is a bold, personal portrait of a self-making artist, determined to leave her mark on the world with elegance, honesty and heart. Learn more at emmasmithmusic.co.uk.
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®
For the 14th consecutive year, NJPAC’s TD James Moody Festival is sponsored by TD Bank.
To learn more, visit td.com/us.
Find TD Bank at facebook.com/TDBank and at instagram.com/TDBank_US.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. Learn more at NJPAC.org.
Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, Social Issues, Education, Business, Health and Wellness, and Cuisine.