Tyreek McDole is the winner of the 2023 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, also known as the SASSY Awards. McDole wowed the judges with his renditions of “September in the Rain,” “Lush Life” and “Every Day I Have the Blues.”
A Haitian-American originally from St. Cloud, Fla., the 23-year-old McDole now resides in New York. As the winner, McDole took home a cash prize of $5,000. It marks the second time a male vocalist has won in the contest’s 12-year history.
In second place was Darynn Dean, winner of a $1,500 prize. In third place was Ekep Nkwelle, who received a $500 prize. Bianca Love and Emma Smith rounded out the competition’s top five. Selected from a record of more than 280 submissions representing 37 countries, the five finalists competed in front of a distinguished panel of judges: vocalists Patti Austin, Jane Monheit, and Lizz Wright; bassist Christian McBride; and producer and A&R consultant Al Pryor.
McDole joins an esteemed group of previous SASSY Award winners Cyrille Aimée, Jazzmeia Horn, Ashleigh Smith, Arianna Neikrug, Deelee Dubé, Quiana Lynell, Laurin Talese, Samara Joy, Gabrielle Cavassa and Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim, G. Thomas Allen, and Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso.
