Billy Miles Honored With an NAACP Image Award

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When the 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards nominations were announced in Los Angeles on January 10th, emerging vocal star and Aezra recording artist Billy Miles was honored with a nod in the "Outstanding Jazz Artist" category. Acclaimed for her self-titled solo debut album, Miles was the only female nominated in the field of five contenders, which also includes the veterans Najee and Onaje Allen Gumbs. Last year's winner in the same category was the legendary vocalist Nancy Wilson, an artist Billy has cited as a primary inspiration and influence. The sizzling Aezra CD Billy Miles -- a stylish brew of jazz, pop, soul, trip-hop and more -- enjoyed breakout success when National Public Radio's flagship Los Angeles outlet KCRW-FM gave it major presence on their airwaves and sponsored Southern California showcases that drew capacity crowds.

In '05, Nic Harcourt, host of KCRW's top rated Morning Becomes Eclectic, called Miles "one of my favorite artists of the year, " a sentiment echoed by many taste-makers. The disc's lead single, "Sunshine, " was a "Song Of The Week" on iTunes -- where the album reached #6 on the R&B chart, and in addition to NPR success, it charted at Hot AC, AAA and Smooth Jazz radio, as did her follow up single, "I Know." The latest single, the potent and bluesy "Your Love's A Lie, " has just been released to radio.

Praised for her flair in fusing multiple genres into an exotic hybridsound all her own, and for her elegant/earthy stage presence, Billy has played at major venues nationwide including NYC's Joe's Pub, L.A.'s Temple Bar and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. At Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, she was a featured performer, with Chris Botti, at the inaugural Gala for Diamonds for Humanity, a global initiative founded to launch projects that affirm dignity, currently developing environmental and social programs in Africa. Billy has also made guest appearances on national television shows including Soul Train, Emeril Live, and CBS' The Early Show and The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Visually striking as well as sonically alluring, Miles has been featured in various fashion layouts including a spread in Women's Wear Daily. A Los Angeles native, Miles grew up absorbing the varied musical tastes of her African-American father and Eurasian mother, and the contrast resounds dramatically in Billy's fresh and vibrant work. Billboard Magazine's Gail Mitchell has written, "Billy Miles' distinctive voice strikes you immediately. You hear shades of Macy Gray, not to mention Sade, Billie Holiday and Nelly Furtado. Yet the Los Angeles-based artist never loses her originality."

The 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards, honoring achievement by AfricanAmericans in movies, television, music and literature, will be presented February 25 at the [venue] in Los Angeles, CA, and the ceremony will be televised nationally on FOX on Friday, March 3.

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