About the prize

PLAYLIST

PREAMBLE

The program of the German Jazz Prize is preceded by a preamble outlining the vision and goals of the German Jazz Prize. The preamble can be viewed here.

The German Jazz Prize pursues the overarching goal of creating, living and communicating more cultural diversity in musical practice and teaching, in cultural management as well as in sound carrier production and documentation.
It is intended to serve as an orientation for interested parties from all social groups at home and abroad and is based on the self-image that jazz and improvised music belong to the cultural educational canon. The German Jazz Prize reflects the social significance of this music and its award criteria are based first and foremost on artistic aspects.

As contemporary, improvised music that draws from both African-American and other global art music and ethnic music traditions, jazz music is an independent and vibrant part of the musical culture in Germany. As an Afro-diasporic art form, jazz is a formative part of current musical discourse, picks up on the themes of our present to a particular degree and reflects them artistically.

The purpose of the German Jazz Prize is to honour its innovative strength in all its facets and to convey new approaches to jazz to a diverse audience.

PURPOSE

The German Jazz Prize aims to

• promote the diversity of jazz in and from Germany

• honor and strengthen exceptional artistic creativity, innovation and achievements in national and international jazz,

• help jazz from Germany achieve even greater worldwide appeal

• lead to a stronger anchoring of jazz in society

• embody and strengthen cultural diversity

• visibly support jazz creators and their networks. To this end, in addition to increased public attention through the German Jazz Prize, its various categories should be appropriately financially endowed.

THE PRIZE

In order to honour this innovative strength in all its facets, former Minister of State for Culture Prof. Monika Grütters (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media 2013-2021) has launched the German Jazz Prize. As the Federal Government’s central funding institution for the music industry, the Initiative Musik has been entrusted with its realisation.

The first edition of Deutscher Jazzpreis did take place on June 3rd 2021 with the aim of establishing itself as an annually recurring, cultural lighthouse event.

»Jazz still too often does not receive the public attention and support it deserves in this country. We want to change that with our jazz promotion: through the Initiative Musik, the Musikfonds and the GERMAN JAZZ PRIZE. Especially after the past two years, which were strongly marked by the pandemic, an event like the GERMAN JAZZ PRIZE is particularly important. Because with it we show the creative power, the artistic quality and the diversity of this genre. And jazz gets the attention it deserves!«

– Claudia Roth, MdB & Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

ADVISORY BOARD

The concept of Deutscher Jazzpreis is constantly being developed together with an advisory board appointed by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Claudia Roth, which is made up of top-class representatives of the jazz scene. The advisory board consists of the following members: