Eight emerging jazz musicians and hip hop group, DEM MOB, were presented with $35,000 in awards at A Night of Jazz with Jazzmeia Horn – Helpmann Academy’s annual Jazz Awards event that honours outstanding musicians from the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music.
In addition, Elise and Nick Ross presented the Elise Ross Regional Award 2025 to DEM MOB. Valued at $5,000 this award will support band members Elisha Umuhuri, Jontae Lawrie, and Basso Edwards, who are alumni from the Centre of Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) at the University of Adelaide, to create new work.
Held at the iconic Adelaide Town Hall, on Thursday 31 October, the event was a celebration of jazz, hip hop and First Nations music which was greatly amplified thanks to the Helpmann Academy’s new Cultural Strategic Partnership with the City of Adelaide.
The performance started with award winning jazz graduates playing a selection of jazz classics, with each musician having their moment to shine.
Next up, special guests DEM MOB took to the stage, performing their material in English and Pitjantjatjara. Originally from the APY Lands community of Pukatja, DEM MOB had been collaborating with Jazzmeia to create a new track together.
Jazz graduate Harrison Smith was presented with the top honour of the night, the Helpmann Academy Langley Award for Jazz, which is supported by K&S Langley Family.
Harrison graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) in 2021 and is now one of South Australia’s most in-demand trumpeters and flugelhornists. He has performed with and supported artists including James & John Morrison, Harry James Angus, Lage Lund, Ethan Iverson, 30/70, Hindley Street Country Club, SingIt Live, and Peter Garrett.
He recorded and released his debut album of original music with his group Sauce Code in 2023, and this year was selected to participate in the Siena Jazz International Summer Workshop, where he studied with trumpet masters including Avishai Cohen and Jason Palmer. Harrison’s passion lies in performing within genres such as jazz fusion and contemporary groove music, as well as big band composition and arranging.
On receiving the award Harrison was excited about the collaborations and connections he can make in in the Adelaide jazz scene to realise his ambitions.
“The opportunity provided by the Helpmann Academy through the Langley Award for Jazz is not just a privilege to receive but is vital in realising the full scope and magnitude of my original big band music by allowing me the freedom to explore the potential of modern beat-based music for this traditional medium,” said Harrison.
Harrison continued, “this funding from the Helpmann Academy and the K&S Langley Fund has given me the opportunity to foster new and existing relationships with some of the finest artists, recording engineers, videographers and graphic designers in South Australia and internationally, which would be impossible for me to achieve without their generous support.”
Vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Courteney Hooper, was the recipient of the Helpmann Academy Award for Voice 2024 valued at $5,000 plus the Helpmann Academy Award for Outstanding Vocalist valued at $2,000. Both awards are supported by Dr Rob Lyons.
Courteney is in her final year of the Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) and is increasingly becoming one of Adelaide’s most sought-after musicians. Courteney’s sound is sweet, yet with effortless precision and a warm, soulful balance.
Since 2019, she has performed at a broad range of local venues and festivals, including Adelaide Jazz Festival, WOMAD, International Jazz Day at Dunstan Playhouse, Fringe in The Forest, Rootstock Festival, and The Local. In 2022, she was a recipient of The Barn Emerging Artist’s Scholarship for her original compositions.
In January of 2025, Courteney will commence recording her debut album at Wizard Tone Studios.
“Having the opportunity to record my debut album of original music that I have been writing and performing for over five years will be nothing short of life changing. This has been a lifelong aspiration, and I am filled with gratitude for the generous support from the Helpmann Academy and Dr Rob Lyons in making this happen,” said Courteney.
After the interval, Jazzmeia performed new music from her latest release Messages with her pianist Victor Gould and the top jazz graduating musicians, swapping in and out to feature across her tracks.
The evening culminated with Jazzmeia, DEM MOB and the jazz musicians, cramming onto the stage together to performing the newly created single.
Watch this space for the release date and music video.
Other awards presented on the night:
TYLER LEUNG
Helpmann Academy Top Honours Award
$5,000 | Supported by Lang Family Foundation
SOLOMON YOUNG
Helpmann Academy Top Undergraduate Award
$5,000 | Supported by David McKee AO & Pam McKee
PAOLO GUTTILLA
Helpmann Academy Award for Outstanding Saxophonist
$2,000 | Supported by The Chili Crabs
JACKSON MACK
Helpmann Academy Award for Outstanding Drummer
$2,000 | Supported by DankPods
JAMES HO
Helpmann Academy Award for Outstanding Bassist
$2,000 | Supported by DankPods
COURTENEY HOOPER
Helpmann Academy Award for Outstanding Vocalist
$2,000 | Supported by Dr Rob Lyons
DEM MOB
Elise Ross Regional Award
$5,000 | Supported by the Ross Family
A Night of Jazz returns in 2025.
Images: by Sam Roberts.