5X GRAMMY winner Samara Joy was honored with her first-ever NAACP Image Award this weekend. Her latest studio album Portrait, out now on Verve Records, won for this year’s Outstanding Jazz Album. Co-produced by Joy and veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-Grammy winner Brian Lynch, the 8-song collection offers a snapshot of Joy’s growth since her GRAMMY Best New Artist win, not only as a once-in-a-generation vocalist but also as a lyricist and band leader.
Following the ceremony on Saturday, Joy attended the NAACP post-show benefit concert, where she performed a medley of “Guess Who I Saw Today” and “Lately.” The event raised funds for the Altadena Community Preservation Fund, created by the NAACP to support the Altadena community affected by the Eaton fires. Watch a clip from the performance HERE.
Last night, Joy also attended the 15th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, where she was a presenter at this year’s ceremony held at The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
Earlier this month, Joy earned her fourth and fifth GRAMMY Awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The Bronx native took home gold for Best Jazz Performance (“Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” feat. Sullivan Fortner) and Best Jazz Vocal Album (A Joyful Holiday). Joy previously won Best New Artist (2023), Best Jazz Vocal Album (Linger Awhile, 2023), and Best Jazz Performance (“Tight,” 2024).
Joy also recently appeared as a featured guest on the 55th season of Sesame Street. Other highlights include a CBS News 60 Minutes profile (watch HERE), a PBS Newshour profile (watch HERE), a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and a string of sold out shows across Asia.
Joy will continue to tour across the globe throughout 2025, including her anticipated Carnegie Hall debut on April 30. For all upcoming shows and tickets, please visit https://www.samarajoy.com.
Samara Joy 2025 Tour Dates
March 7 - Caen, France - Théâtre De Caen
March 8 - Coutances, France - Théâtre De Coutances
March 10 - Lyon, France - Orchestre National De Lyon
March 11 - Lucerne, Switzerland - KKL Luzern
March 12 - Geneva, Switzerland - Victoria Hall
March 14 - Amiens, France - Maison De La Culture
March 15 - Paris, France - Grande salle Pierre Boulez - Philharmonie de Paris
March 17 - Toulouse, France - La Halle Aux Grains
March 18 - Marseille, France - Le Cepac Silo
March 20 - Metz, France - Arsenal
March 22 - Antwerp, Belgium - De Singel International Arts Centre
March 23 - Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVrendenburg
April 30 - New York, NY - Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
May 3 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center
May 4 - East Greenwich, RI - Greenwich Odeum
May 11 - Germantown, TN - Highland Capital Performance Hall
May 13 - Nashville, TN - Schermerhorn Symphony Center
May 15 - Niagara, Canada - Central Niagara
May 16 - Toronto, Canada - Massey Hall
May 18 - Cape May, NJ - Exit Zero Jazz Festival
May 20 - Ridgefield, CT - The Ridgefield Playhouse
May 22 - Orlando, FL - Dr. Phillips Center - Steinmetz Hall
May 28 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
June 1 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater
June 2 - Houston, TX - Jones Hall For The Performing Arts
June 5 - Raleigh, NC - Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts
June 7 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall
June 28 - Montreal, Canada - Place Des Arts - Maison Symphonique at Montreal Jazz Festival
About Samara Joy
A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. And while her family history is deeply musical — her grandparents helmed the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and her father, the musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, has produced, composed and arranged his own astounding original work — she didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college at SUNY Purchase. During her studies there she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique and charisma that defined her jazz heroines — including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae.
Joy released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, followed a year later by Linger Awhile, her breakout Verve debut, of which DownBeat said, “With this beautiful recording, a silky-voiced star is born.” The album earned her a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in addition to a headline-making win for Best New Artist. A deluxe edition of the album was released, as well as the EP A Joyful Holiday, which won two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Jazz Performance (“Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” feat. Sullivan Fortner).
Her new Verve album, Portrait, which Joy co-produced with the veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-Grammy winner Brian Lynch, showcases the intimate, soulful chemistry she’s developed with her touring band. Portrait also spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist, in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris.
