Kildwick -born singer Clare Teal has won the best vocalist prize in the British Jazz Awards.

She took home the jazz "Oscar" after beating well-established performers like Cleo Laine and Val Wiseman.

Clare, pictured, who last year signed the biggest-ever record deal for a jazz singer, rubbed shoulders with the UK's leading jazz artists.

The awards had returned to Birmingham, their original home, after nine years in London.

Clare won one of 16 categories after 20,000 voting forms were distributed around the country's record stores, jazz clubs and festivals.

Clare rose to fame after being championed by Michael Parkinson on his TV and radio shows.

She sang a jazz version of Winter Wonderland on the Christmas Mania TV show and proved popular at Glastonbury Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Clare's recent album Don't Talk made her the first UK female mainstream jazz artist to have a Top 20 album for almost 30 years.