Nominees announced for German Jazz Prize 2025

The awards ceremony will be on 13 June 2025 at the E-Werk Köln, on what is jokingly called the “falsche Rheinseite”. The 22 award winners each receive €12,000 in prize money, and all of the nominees receive €4,000. 

Django Bates has been a jury member and says: “Being invited to consider the composition entries for this year’s German Jazz Prize gave me the opportunity to reflect on the infinite breadth and depth of all that can be embraced by the word “Jazz”, and the joy of catching up with a large part of the ever vibrant German jazz scene. It is heartening that jazz is so respected and celebrated in Germany and I’m honoured to have been involved in this year’s awards.”

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES

1. ARTISTS
   
   Vocal Enji I Erik Leuthäuser I Heidi Heidelberg I Sera Kalo
   
   Woodwinds Camila Nebbia I Ingrid Laubrock I Johannes Schleiermacher I Luise Volkmann
   
   Brass Instruments Lina Allemano I Dima Bondarev I Bastian Stein I Sebastian Studnitzky
   
   Piano/Keyboard Instruments Aron Ottignon I Kit Downes I Moses Yoofee I Olga Reznichenko
   
   String Instruments Fabiana Striffler I Johan Leijonhufvud I Matthias Pichler I Nick Dunston
   
   Drums/Percussion Bex Burch I Mariá Portugal I Philo Tsoungui I Simon Popp
   
   Large Ensemble of the Year Brigade Futur III I Carl Wittigs Aurora Oktett I Fuchsthone Orchestra I Sonic Interventions
   
   Large Ensemble of the Year International Black Lives I Federico Calcagno Octet I Jihye Lee Orchestra I Synesthetic Octet
   
   2. RECORDING/PRODUCTION
   
   Album of the Year Deranged Particles – Felix Henkelhausen I Ellington – Aki Takase & Daniel Erdmann I Love Avatar – Peter Gall I threads to knot – TRAINING with Ruth Goller
   
   Newcomer of the Year Do you remember? – Sonic Interventions I Holy Noon – MAIKA I Mer Tan Itev – Tigran Tatevosyan I Octopetala – RGR
   
   Broadcast Production of the Year
   
   Album of the Year International BlueAllgäu meets India – Frankfurt Radio Big Band featuring Matthias Schriefl I Colouring Hockets – John Hollenbeck & NDR Bigband I Mädchen, Frau etc. (Radio Play and Soundtrack) – Sebastian M. Purfürst, Jackie Thomae, Laura Laabs I Enso: A Simplified Space – Stefan Schöneggs Blood – Immanuel Wilkins I No More Water: The Gospel Of J. Baldwin – Meshell Ndegeocello I ØKSE – ØKSE I The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow – Charles Lloyd
   
   Newcomer of the Year International Abiding Memory – Phillip Golub I Good Intentions – Alden Hellmuth I Haezz – HAEZZ I Partial Lunar Eclipse – So Lieb Quartet LIVE
   
   Festival of the Year Jazzfest Berlin I jazzwerkstatt Peitz I moers festival I PENG Festival
   
   Live Act of the Year Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra I Fuasi Abdul Khaliq’s Organ Ensemble I Omer Klein Trio I Sonic Interventions
   
   Live Act of the Year International Cécile McLorin Salvant I Nduduzo Makhathini I Shabaka I Sofia Jernberg COMPOSITION/ARRANGEMENT
   
   Composition/Arrangement of the Year Etch Nonspirituals/Tellur/Antielectrons/Antiphotons – Elias Stemeseder I PlanetWoman – Birgitta Flick I Rainbows – Tilo Weber I While She Sleeps – Niko Seibold
   
   3. SPECIAL PRIZES
   
   Journalistic Achievement “JazzFacts Deutschlandreise” – Deutschlandfunk I “Jazz Is My Democracy” – Lorenzo Dolce I “Laut & Leipzig” – Musikjournalistische Medienwerkstatt der 48. Leipziger Jazztage 2024 I “Mutige Muster – Die Sängerin und Komponistin Miriam Elhajli” – Sophie Emilie Beha
   
   Music Mediation 10 Jahre Groove Inclusion Jubiläumskonzerte I Jazzpilot*innen I Pinc Music I Shared Planet                     from https://ukjazznews.com