Sullivan Fortner

About

Sullivan Fortner (born 1986, New Orleans) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader whose playing draws on gospel, bebop, blues, and classical traditions rooted in his New Orleans upbringing. He served as the regular pianist in Roy Hargrove's quintet from 2010 to 2017 and has been Cécile McLorin Salvant's primary collaborator for over a decade. His trio album Southern Nights (2025) won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album at the 68th Grammy Awards, his third career Grammy win, and he is the inaugural recipient of the 2026 Gilmore Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award.

Grammy wins (career total as of 2026)

Grammy nominations (career total)

$300,000

Gilmore Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award grant (USD)

2024

DownBeat Critics Poll - Rising Star Jazz Group win

What's new

2026-02
Fortner won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Southern Nights at the 68th Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026 - his third career Grammy win.
2026-02
Fortner performed at the 2026 Gilmore International Piano Festival (April 30 - May 10, Kalamazoo, Michigan), both as a solo artist and with his trio alongside Cécile McLorin Salvant and Ambrose Akinmusire.
2025-10
Fortner was named the inaugural recipient of the Gilmore Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award, announced at a ceremony in New York City on October 8, 2025, carrying $300,000 in support over four years.
2025-02
Southern Nights, Fortner's trio album recorded live at the Village Vanguard with Peter Washington and Marcus Gilmore, was released on February 14, 2025 via Artwork Records.
2026-06
Fortner is scheduled to perform two programs at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2026 - a solo recital and a trio concert.