For back-to-back years, Sac State has taken first place at the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival in the vocal jazz group category.

With Sac State vocal group C-Sus Voices taking top honors in 2016, vocal ensemble Vox Now kept the title on campus finishing first this year. The Sac State Jazz Singers, another vocal group on campus, were the runner-up at the prestigious festival.

With the victory at Monterey Next Generation, the winners earn a place to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

The festival, which is one of the world’s longest running jazz festivals approaching its 60th year, has featured jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones.

Sac State vocal jazz director Gaw Vang Williams is not only pleased with the results of the vocal groups and their accolades, but the time and effort put in by the students to sharpen their performances.

“I’m blessed to have students who are dedicated, talented, and hard-working,” Williams said. “We aren’t necessarily striving to win competitions but we strive to get better every day and [that] has put the students in the position they are (in) today.”

In addition to the victories as a group, Sac State students won individual awards at Monterey Next Generation. Julian Cunningham won for outstanding soloist as a part of his work with Vox Now, along with Molly Redfield and Elias Lucero, who won for instrumental soloist awards as part of their performance with Jazz Ensemble I.

Cunningham, a junior at Sac State, has never won a solo award in jazz prior to his win at Monterey Next Generation. He said that winning as a soloist was particularly gratifying, considering the time and work he has put in to be successful in the genre.

“I have been studying jazz for the past four or five years, so it is an honor just to be considered for a nationally acclaimed award,” Cunningham said. “I worked hard on this challenging solo I performed at the festival since last semester, it forced me to grow as a singer — to be recognized for that is amazing.”

Redfield, a graduating senior who was honored for her work as a bassist, said that she feels that despite the national success now surrounding Sac State’s jazz program, the people within it maintain their focus on performing.

“The cool thing about jazz is that it is a community event,” Redfield said. “It is about the love shared on the stage. We don’t enter festivals comparing ourselves to other programs, we see it as a chance to have fun.”

Cunningham, who will start his senior year in the fall, said he is motivated by the positive direction in which the vocal program is moving.

“I think that the vocal program at Sac State is setting a new standard,” Cunningham said. “With the exposure of these festivals, it brings in excitement and attracts new talent. I feel incoming freshman won’t overlook Sac State, and if they attend, (they will) receive a great education and grow as a musician.”

Sac State students can next see all of the jazz vocal groups on campus on Friday, May 12 at 7 p.m. The Hornets will perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival from September 15-17 at the Monterey Fairgrounds.