Posthumous jazz award for Lyttelton

5:33am Wednesday 23rd July 2008

Humphrey Lyttelton has been posthumously named "artist of the year" at the BBC Jazz Awards.

The veteran broadcaster and bandleader, who died earlier this year, was awarded the title of BBC Radio2 Jazz Artist Of The Year.

The award was voted for by radio listeners.

Few people in the history of British jazz have done more to further the popularity and profile of the music while remaining true to its spirit, the BBC said.

Ian Shaw, winner of last year's Best Vocalist Award, gave the world premiere of Lyttelton's Sad, Sweet Song.

Lyttelton had asked Shaw to record the song, to which he had written the words, at the BBC Jazz Awards in 2006 and it was eventually recorded within a few days of Lyttelton's death.

The 2008 BBC Jazz Awards, celebrating the best of British and international jazz, was held at the Mermaid Theatre in London on Monday night.