Margaret Nicholson, known professionally as Maggie Nicols, and born on February 24, 1948, in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a free-jazz and improvising vocalist, dancer, and performer. She began her career as a dancer at the Windmill Theatre before transitioning to singing in various venues including jazz clubs. In 1968, she joined the Spontaneous Music Ensemble with John Stevens, Trevor Watts, and Johnny Dyani, marking her entry into improvisational music. Nicols formed her own group Okuren and collaborated with Keith Tippett's big band Centipede. Nicols co-founded the Feminist Improvising Group in the late 1970s. She released several albums including Live at the Bastille (1982) and Sweet and S'ours (1982), the latter featuring Julie Tippetts. She also collaborated extensively with Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer and French bassist Joelle Leandre as part of the trio Les Diaboliques, touring and releasing various recordings.
