Tobin wins best BBC jazz vocalist

The Blessing won album of the year at the BBC Jazz Awards

Christine Tobin has won best vocalist at this year's BBC Jazz Awards.

Saxophonist Tony Kofi picked up best instrumentalist at a ceremony hosted by Paul Gambaccini at The Mermaid Theatre in London.

The album of the year award went to Bristol quartet The Blessing, who have performed with acts such as Portishead and Robert Plant.

The lifetime achievement award went to the band Return To Forever, who include legendary keyboardist Chick Corea.

The Radio 2 artist of the year award went to Humphrey Lyttelton, who died in April aged 86, and who recorded the first jazz record to enter the UK singles chart in 1956.

The ceremony will be broadcast on Radio 2 on Tuesday 22 July at 2230 BST, with highlights played on the Jazz Line-Up show on Radio 3 on Saturday 26 July at 1600 BST.