Esquire Gold Award for Best Female Vocalist

On 27 February 1946, Billie Holiday received the Esquire Magazine Gold Award for Best Female Vocalist, an honor that affirmed her stature among critics and jazz aficionados.

Esquire’s jazz polls, launched during the swing era, were influential barometers of taste, compiling votes from leading musicians, critics, and informed listeners. Holiday’s Gold Award recognized her singular approach to phrasing, timbre, and emotional expression at a time when she faced increasing personal challenges and racism within the music industry. The award placed her at the pinnacle of female jazz vocalists in the eyes of contemporary tastemakers.

This accolade is historically significant because it shows that, despite limited access to mainstream radio exposure and the segregated structure of venues, Holiday’s artistry commanded deep respect in elite musical circles. For a Black woman who had already broken barriers with bands like Count Basie and Artie Shaw, such recognition signaled that her innovations in vocal jazz were transforming the idiom itself. The Esquire Gold Award helped cement her reputation during the mid‑1940s, a crucial period before legal troubles and health decline began to overshadow her critical standing.