Ava Preston Wins Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition

By DownBeat I May. 12, 2026

Ava Preston, a 12-time DownBeat Student Music Award winner, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in jazz voice at Juilliard.
(Photo: Courtesy Ava Preston)

Ava Preston, from Cleveland, Ohio, was named the winner of the ninth annual Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition on April 25, according to presenting organization Blues Alley Jazz. A 21-year-old vocalist with expansive experience in all genres of jazz, Preston is a 12-time DownBeat magazine Student Music Award winner. She has performed at a variety of prestigious venues and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in jazz voice at The Juilliard School in Manhattan.

Preston, who was awarded the top prize of $2,500, was one of five finalists who were winnowed from a pool of global entries. This year’s two celebrity judges were Nnenna Freelon (singer, composer, producer, arranger and educator) and Sachal Vasandani (singer, songwriter, composer and educator).

The other finalists were 2nd-place winner ($1,000 honorarium) Kyra Cioffi of Rutherford, New Jersey, and 3rd-place winners ($500 honorariums) Gabriela Allemana of Chicago, Lily Alter of Oak Park, Illinois, and Emily Davies of Buffalo, New York.

This year’s theme was “Ella Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook,” with each song chosen from the Verve and Pablo recording catalogs. Washington, D.C.-based Blues Alley will be inviting all five finalists to perform in April 2027. The invitation will help Blues Alley codify its education and performance programming, as the organization cultivates, mentors and presents the next generation of vocal jazz artists. The next competition opens on Nov. 1, with additional details to follow. To donate to the non-profit Blues Alley Jazz Society’s music education programming, visit bluesalley.org or ellafitzgeraldcompetition.org. DB