Overview

• German drummer and composer Eva Klesse received the Künstlerin des Jahres title along with a €12,000 prize.
• American saxophonist Marshall Allen, aged 101, was named international artist of the year at the event.
• Jazz and Schlager singer Uschi Brüning was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
• Additional accolades recognized Nduduzo Makhathini for live international performance, Carl Wittig’s Aurora Oktett as ensemble of the year, and the hr-Bigband with Matthias Schriefl for outstanding radio production.
• Organized by Initiative Musik since 2021 in cooperation with Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia, the awards underscore the growing diversity within the European jazz scene.