Houghton Regis musician ‘Highly Commended’ in Wedding Industry Awards final

James Junior, 39, founder of The Piano Singer, was given the accolade at Café de Paris, in London, on January 15 for the category Wedding Musical Act Of The Year.

The talented performer had been nominated by his clients, and whilst on his journey through the competition, he was crowned best Musical Act at the East of England heats in November.

James said: “It was very glamorous. It was a black-tie event with something like 500 to 700 people.

“In all the categories, when they find it difficult to decide, the judges can give out a ‘Highly Commended’ award if you narrowly miss out on winning.

“I was really happy. Some people in their categories didn’t get anything, so to be ‘Highly Commended’ felt like an achievement for sure. I was chuffed to be recognised.”

Newlyweds had nominated James for the competition, with the judges previously noting that what made James stand out was the “interaction with his clients”.

But as well as his piano playing and vocal skills, The Piano Singer was judged as a brand, being rated on factors including videos, the website, social media pages, and knowledge.

Comments from the finals were also very complimentary. One judge said they thought that James had an “outstanding vocal quality”, while another said: “I kept wanting to watch your videos all the way until the end.”

James added: “I would definitely like to thank my wife, Cassandra. She has supported me massively throughout this process and believed that The Piano Singer would come out with an award.”

Now - as well as his soulful wedding performances - James has more exciting projects up his sleeve.

His new EP, All In, will be released next month under the name James Junior, while the single, also All In, is out now on streaming platforms.

Meanwhile, James is looking forward to performing with The Piano Singer Trio, a line-up which also includes a guitarist and a drummer.

To contact James, see www.thepianosinger.com