Newly established Austrian jazz award: JAM MUSIC LAB Private University as a supporter
After years of organization and planning under the leadership of Harald Huber, president of Austrian Music Council (ÖMR), the newly established Jazz Award will be presented for the first time this year in the three categories of Album, Live Act, and Newcomer of the Year at Porgy and Bess. The JAM MUSIC LAB Private University is not just a bystander but an active participant.
With the discontinuation of the prestigious "Hans Koller Prize," a significant gap emerged in the recognition of domestic jazz music, affecting both the releases and the musicians themselves. The newly created Austrian Jazz Award aims to fill this void. It is envisioned as an award by the jazz scene for the jazz scene. Musicians can submit their projects for the categories of Newcomer, Live Act of the Year, and Album of the Year until August 15, 2024. The evaluation period spans from January 1, 2022, to August 5, 2024, ensuring that those whose releases were unplanned during the pandemic are also recognized. Students, faculty, and alumni of our university are warmly invited to submit their diverse projects.
An initial selection will be made by the so-called Academy, comprising professionals such as journalists, bookers, label representatives, and musicians, who actively contribute to the decision-making process by rating the submitted projects using a points system. The top ten in each category will then be closely examined by an expert jury, which will determine the winners. On December 5, the grand award ceremony will take place at the renowned jazz club, featuring performances by the winning artists. In the Newcomer category, unlike the other two, an individual wins. Prizes include 10,000 euros for the Album and Live Act winners plus two selected concerts, and 5,000 euros and two concerts for the Newcomer.
Statement from JAM MUSIC LAB Private University Rector Marcus Ratka: "As a university dedicated to all forms of jazz and popular music, we are honored and thrilled to be among the supporters of the Austrian Jazz Award! Jazz has a long and significant tradition in Austrian music history. Once known as music for dance, theater, and film, it later evolved into a platform for musicians, bands, and orchestras to bring jazz to the world. Today, the Austrian jazz scene sets important accents for improvised music that transcends stylistic boundaries. We see it as our mission to keep jazz in all its facets available for study in the future and to actively promote musicians. This is made possible thanks to our partners from business, industry, and philanthropy, and we aim to continuously expand this circle. We wish the Austrian Jazz Award much success and look forward to making a valuable contribution to this significant project as a university."
For more information on submissions, the Academy, and more, visit: https://www.jazzpreis.at/
