Please read the program description carefully first. Below you will find answers to frequently asked questions.
In which categories can one apply?
The award categories of the German Jazz Prize are divided into submission categories and curated categories. In an extensive reform for the fourth edition of the German Jazz Prize, the categories have now been consolidated to a total of 22. The first three editions had 31 categories. The eight submission categories are open to the public, while in the other curated categories the proposals for potential prize winners are made solely by the expert jury and the main jury. Prize categories 11-16 and 19, 20 are so-called submission categories, for which musicians, journalists and festival makers who meet the formal regulations and selection criteria can apply independently. Applications can be submitted by artists, producers, managers, promoters, employees of labels, publishers and broadcasters as well as journalists and festival organizers. The submission deadline for the German Jazz Prize 2025 is November 30, 2024, 23:59 (CET). Further information on the submission categories and their application requirements can be found in the program description as well as in the graphic overview of the categories.
Which submission categories relate to the achievements of German artists and performers?
Applications can be submitted in the following categories for achievements by musicians and journalists who are German citizens, have been resident in Germany for at least three years or have a German degree. Regarding festivals and broadcast productions, the location of production must be in Germany.
11. Album of the Year
12. Debut Album of the Year
13. Broadcast Production of the Year
16. Festival of the Year
19. Composition/Arrangement of the Year
20. Journalistic Achievement
In the case of group projects, the majority of the participating artists or performers, i.e. at least half of the group, must meet the above criteria, or the bandleader must be the eponymous member of the ensemble.
In which categories are applications from non-German artists possible?
For artists who do not have German citizenship or have not been resident in Germany for at least three years, applications can be submitted in the following categories:
14. Album of the Year International
15. Debut Album of the Year International
Can one apply in more than one category?
It is possible to apply in more than one category, provided that the artistic achievement fulfills the respective requirements of each award category, e.g. application for Debut Album of the Year and Album of the Year. However, it is not possible to apply with the same artistic achievement in a national and in an international category at the same time.
What criteria do I have to meet?
The requirements for the individual award categories, what constitutes a valid application and which materials must be submitted in each case are listed individually for each category on the online application platform. The application tool will be activated in October 2024 (exact date to be announced) and linked on the German Jazz Prize website. Detailed information on the award procedure can be found in the program description.
For which years can one apply and when is the application deadline?
The evaluation period for submissions for the German Jazz Prize 2025 will be from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024 inclusive – the exact date will be announced. The submission deadline is November 30, 2023, 23:59 (CET).
Is there an application fee?
No, there is no application fee. Submitting an application is entirely free of charge.
How do I submit my application?
All applications must be created online in the application tool. In order for your application to be valid and considered in the review process, you must digitally submit your completed application via the button “Submit application”.
How much is the prize money?
All award categories are endowed with prize money of at least 10,000 euros each. Nominees who do not win a prize in a category receive nomination money of at least 1,000 euros.
How can I submit files such as PDFs or photos of analogue print reviews with the application?
Only links can be inserted in the application portal of the German Jazz Prize; unfortunately, file uploads are not possible this year for various reasons. We therefore ask all applicants to make files available via cloud solutions such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive / Sharepoint or other providers. It is important that the link is permanently available and accessible. Time-limited links such as those provided by WeTransfer are therefore unsuitable.
Who ultimately chooses the award winners?
The selection of the award winners takes place in a two-stage process: the expert jury votes from all the applications and proposals received in an online vote and a subsequent discussion and in this way determines four nominees (this is a novelty in the fourth edition, previously there were three nominees). These four nominees are then presented to the main jury, which then selects the award winner in a joint vote.
Where can I find an overview of the jury members?
Each year the jury members will be published on the German Jazz Prize website after the selection of the nominees and prize winners. The juries of previous editions are listed here.
How are the juries composed and who decides?
The expert jury of the German Jazz Prize is made up of a total of 25 personalities from the field of jazz and improvised music. In order to reflect all perspectives of this lively and multi-faceted music scene, the jury is formed as a representative cross-section of five people from each of the following areas: Artists, labels/publishers, clubs/festivals, management/agencies and journalists/media representatives. The main jury is made up of a total of 10 delegated representatives of the expert jury as well as 7 additional members who are outstanding and recognised personalities from cultural public life with an affinity for jazz. All juries have equal gender representation and are appointed by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) on the basis of a proposal from the advisory board. Further detailed information on the functioning of the jury can be found in the jury statutes.
When will the next German Jazz Prize event take place?
The German Jazz Prize 2024 event will take place on April 18, 2024 in Cologne.