Ezra Collective facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ezra Collective
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Femi Koleoso at the 2017 Jazz Manor Festival in Sochi, Russia.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
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| Years active | 2016–present |
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| Members |
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| Past members | Dylan Jones |
Ezra Collective is a super cool British jazz band made up of five talented musicians. The group includes Femi Koleoso on drums (he's also the bandleader!), TJ Koleoso on bass, Ife Ogunjobi on trumpet, James Mollison on tenor saxophone, and Joe Armon-Jones on keyboards. They all met at a special jazz program called Tomorrow's Warriors.
This band mixes different music styles like afrobeat, hip hop, and jazz. They often work with other amazing musicians from London. Ezra Collective made history by winning the 2023 Mercury Music Prize, which is a really big award for music in the UK. Even Barack Obama liked their song "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" so much that he put it on his list of favorite songs in 2024! In 2025, they became the first jazz band ever to win "Group of the Year" at the Brit Awards.
Contents
How the Band Started
The Ezra Collective started in London in 2012. It was formed by two brothers, Femi Koleoso (who plays drums) and TJ Koleoso (who plays electric bass). They were joined by James Mollison on saxophone, Joe Armon-Jones on keyboards, and Dylan Jones on trumpet. Later, Ife Ogunjobi took over as the trumpet player.
The band members met at a jazz program called Tomorrow's Warriors, which was run by Gary Crosby. Femi Koleoso once said that he felt jazz music was hard to get into for young people like him. But the band found success by freely sharing all the different music styles they loved growing up.
Their Music Journey
In 2019, Ezra Collective released an instrumental song called "Quest for Coin." It was even featured as the "Hottest Record in The World" on BBC Radio 1! That same year, they released their first big album, You Can't Steal My Joy. It featured cool British artists like Jorja Smith and Loyle Carner.
Their second album, Where I'm Meant to Be, came out in 2022. This album had both instrumental tracks and songs with singers. Many music critics loved it! One writer from The Guardian said it was an "exceptional album" that could become super popular.
In March 2023, it was announced that Ezra Collective would perform at the famous 2023 Glastonbury Festival.
Winning the Mercury Prize
A huge moment for the band happened on September 7, 2023. They won the 2023 Mercury Prize for their album Where I'm Meant To Be! This was a massive achievement because they were the first jazz band to win this award in its 31-year history.
After winning, Femi Koleoso talked about how important it is to support young people in music. He said, "This moment we're celebrating right here is testimony to good, special people putting time and effort into [helping] young people to play music.… let's continue to support that."
Music expert Alexis Petridis praised their winning album. He said Where I'm Meant To Be mixes different rhythms like Afro-Cuban and rap. It also includes dub, funk, and dance music. He noted that the album successfully captures the band's amazing energy from their live shows. It's an album that people who don't usually listen to jazz might really enjoy, but it's still definitely a jazz album.
Recent Achievements
In 2024, Ezra Collective's song "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" was picked by Barack Obama for his list of 25 favorite songs of the year. This is a big deal!
In January 2025, Ezra Collective was named as one of the top bands in the BBC's Sound of 2025 poll. And at the Brit Awards 2025, they made history again by winning "Group of the Year," becoming the first jazz band to do so!
Albums and Songs
Ezra Collective has released several albums and EPs (shorter albums).
Studio Albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
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| You Can't Steal My Joy |
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70 |
| Where I'm Meant to Be |
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24 |
| Dance, No One's Watching |
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7 |
EPs
- Chapter 7 (2016)
- Juan Pablo: The Philosopher (2018)
Awards and Nominations
Ezra Collective has won many awards for their amazing music!
| Organisation | Year | Work | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOBO Awards | 2022 | Ezra Collective | Best Jazz Act | Won | |
| Mercury Prize | 2023 | Where I'm Meant to Be | Album of the Year | Won | |
| MOBO Awards | 2024 | Ezra Collective | Best Jazz Act | Won | |
| BBC | 2025 | Ezra Collective | Sound of 2025 | Second | |
| Brit Awards | 2025 | Ezra Collective | Group Of The Year | Won |
