University News Last updated 28 May
Jazz alumnus Ben Partridge has been named a winner at the 49th Annual Downbeat Student Music Awards.
Ben was honoured as a Graduate College Winner in the Original Composition Large Ensemble category.
A composer, arranger and saxophonist, Ben studied on the BMus Jazz Course and graduated in the summer of 2023. He is currently studying for a Master’s in Composition at Jazz Institut Graz in Austria, the oldest jazz institute in Europe.
DownBeat recently announced the results of its 2026 Student Music Awards in the magazine’s June issue. One of the world’s leading jazz and contemporary music publications, DownBeat presents the awards annually, with students and educators submitting recorded performances and applications through an open call process. Winners are selected from more than 1,000 entries.
The DownBeat Student Music Awards are widely regarded as among the most prestigious honours in jazz education. Since the awards were established in 1976, they have provided early international recognition for hundreds of musicians, music educators and music industry professionals.
Ben said: "I was surprised but delighted to hear this news! It's always nice to be recognised by awards like this – if nothing else, because industry standard-bearers have heard something in my music! This has been the culmination of a fantastic first year in Graz, building on the foundations that I laid in Birmingham."
Lecturer in Jazz Edward Puddick said: "Everyone here in the Jazz department is so proud of what Ben has achieved since graduation. It's always satisfying to see former students following their dreams, and for Ben to receive this kind of international recognition will be a source of great inspiration for students currently studying Jazz at RBC."