The inaugural Hoagy Carmichael Award for Excellence in Jazz Composition was presented on April 9, 2022, during the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Jazz Celebration at the Musical Arts Center in Bloomington, Indiana.

The 2022 award winner was Sam Butler, a graduate student, composer, and trumpeter at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Sam Butler grew up in a musical family in Fairhope, Alabama. He began playing his father’s old trumpet at age 11, and shortly after he began taking lessons with acclaimed trumpet educator Peter Wood.

Sam began studying at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in 2018, and quickly flourished both as a performer and composer/arranger. He auditioned into the top jazz ensemble as a freshman, was a semi-finalist in the Jazz Division of the 2019 and 2020 National Trumpet Competition, was named among the “Outstanding Trumpeters” at the 2022 Jack Rudin Jazz Competition at Dizzy’s Club, and has played with the Plummer Jazz Sextet, a select group of musicians that performs all original music. Sam has also recorded or performed a half dozen of his own large ensemble compositions and arrangements with various ensembles, and he recorded an album of all original compositions with his sextet “Spoken Thoughts,” which was released in early 2022.

Brent Wallarab, the David Baker Professor of Jazz Studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music heads the Hoagy Carmichael Award for Excellence in Jazz Composition criteria and selection effort.

Wallarab commented, “Having an award for jazz composition in Hoagy Carmichael’s name is a natural for the Jacobs School of Music at his alma mater, Indiana University. Hoagy distinguished himself among the top echelon of jazz composers of all time.  Sam Butler is a more than worthy inaugural winner given his already extensive portfolio of original jazz compositions, many of which have been recorded and performed.”

The Carmichael family is pleased to endorse and support this award. Hoagy’s son, Hoagy Bix Carmichael says, “We always encouraged Dad to establish such an award.  He chose not to.  Our family is very happy to have it now in place at Dad’s alma mater, Indiana University.”

The Reynolds Family of Richmond, Bloomington, and Indianapolis generously founded the award which includes a $3,000 award to the winner(s), a perpetual plaque noting Mr. Butler and future winners as well as an individual plaque and a copy of Richard Sudhalter’s seminal biography of Hoagy Carmichael to the winner(s).