All Info at a Glance

"Best Live Act" (Music Project/Band/Ensemble/...)

• 1st place: € 10,000 prize money & Jazz Prize Trophy (Ball) + Concert on 28.11.2026 and a subsidy for a follow-up concert

• 2nd / 3rd place: € 1,000 prize money & Jazz Prize Trophy (Ball)

"Best Album" (Music Project/Album)

• 1st place: € 10,000 prize money & Jazz Prize Trophy (Ball) + concert on 28.11.2026 and a subsidy for a follow-up concert

• 2nd / 3rd place: € 1,000 prize money & Jazz Prize Trophy (Ball)

"Best Newcomer" (person with all his / her / their projects)

• 1st place: € 5,000 prize money & Jazz Prize Trophy (Ball) + concert on 28.11.2026 and a subsidy for a follow-up concert

• 2nd / 3rd place: € 1,000 prize money & Jazz Prize Trophy (Ball)

„High Impact Award“

• € 10,000 prize money & Jazz Prize Trophy (Ball) + concert on 28.11.2026

We invite you to upload your music projects. This means you will be taking part in the Austrian Jazz Award 2026 and will be visible in the long-term in the most comprehensive "Jazz & Global Music Library" of Jazz-Related Music Projects in Austria since January 2022”. It is also possible to submit only to the library and not apply for a prize.

The observation period for the Austrian Jazz Award 2026 begins on 26.08.2025 and ends on 25.08.2026.

For each music project, you will need the following information and/or documents:

• Name of the music project
• Short text describing the project
• List of participating artists
• Photo
• 3 links (e.g., audio/video, website, mica database, etc.)

Which category are you applying for?

• “Best Live Act”: Links to video documentation of live performances during the observation period (The live performance will be evaluated, not the video quality)
• “Best Album”: Link to an album released during the observation period: August 26, 2025 to August 25, 2026 (Audio tracks, artwork, album info)
• “Best Newcomer”: In addition to video and/or audio material from the observation period, a short text about the artist's career to date

All submitting artists are automatically voting members of the Academy, provided they consent. Each member will then select five projects/albums/newcomers per category from the submissions between September 1st and 20th, 2026. Selecting one's own project or even oneself is permitted. The 10 acts with the most nominations in each category will be considered nominated by the Academy. The previous year's winners will be invited to serve on the jury and will only be eligible to submit a project for a prize category again in the following year.

All musicians have the option to contribute themselves or their project to the "Library - Jazz & Global Music from Austria since 2022" at any time without applying for one or more categories of the Jazz Prize.

Final Information

• Name and surname of the submitting person – will not be published
• Contact information (phone number, email address) – will not be published
• Declarations of consent

If you are professionally active in any form in the field of jazz/improvised music/world music in Austria - as a journalist, as an organizer, as a musician, as a teacher, as a label owner/producer, as a booker, as a sound engineer, etc. – we invite you to take part in the nomination process and contribute your expertise.

You will then have the opportunity to nominate 5 projects in each of the three categories "Best Live Act", "Best Album" and "Best Newcomer" from 1st to 20th September 2026. You also have the opportunity to encourage musicians or music projects to participate (submission deadline: 28th of August, 2026)

Please apply using the “Academy Registration” form. You will need the following information:

• Name, First Name
• Email address and phone number.
• Type of professional activity in the field (short description)
• Link to this activity

You will be notified as quickly as possible about your inclusion in the “Academy” (the nominating expert committee) of the Austrian Jazz Awards 2026. If we have any questions, we will contact you.

The 2026 jury consists of four experienced experts from Austria and abroad, selected by the organizing committee, and the three winners of the "Live Act," "Album," and "Newcomer" categories from 2025. The ranking of the nominees (1st place receives 10 points, 2nd place 9 points, etc. - 10th place 1 point), determined by the Academy (approximately 150 to 200 people), forms the basis of the jury's discussions and decisions and accounts for 50% of the final decision. The jury members evaluate and discuss the Academy's results and arrive at a collective jury ranking for each category (individual points divided by 7), which is then added to the Academy's result. This gives the Academy greater weight than in the previous year, but the jury can intervene—with justification—to make adjustments.

Live Act

Projects eligible for "Live Act of the Year" must have performed a significant number of concerts during the observation period (proof required through live recordings: the live performance is evaluated, not the video quality). Beyond the quality of the music, the performance itself (professional and creative stage presence, poise and confidence) is a crucial criterion. The project should have a future perspective beyond the observation period to be eligible for inclusion in Austrian export programs.

Album

Projects eligible for "Album of the Year" must have released one or more full-length albums during the observation period (proof required through links to the complete album, including artwork and album information). The project should either have an artistic future perspective beyond the observation period, represent the culmination of a creative period or have another concept. Any type of album is welcome.

Newcomer

The "Newcomer of the Year" award is open to individuals who, at an early stage of their careers, have demonstrated artistic activity through live performances and audio recordings before and during the observation period. The individual should possess a promising artistic future beyond the observation period to be eligible for inclusion in Austrian export programs, for example.

High Impact Award

The ”High Impact Award“ honors outstanding artists for their special contributions to the development and representation of the Austrian jazz scene at home and abroad and is awarded by the committee of proponents of the Austrian Jazz Price.

Criteria:

Contributions to the development and representation of the Austrian jazz scene at home:

• Mastermind and/or member of outstanding artistic formations and projects
• Promotion of (young) talents
• Long-standing activities and initiatives that enliven the scene

Contributions to the development and representation of the Austrian jazz scene abroad:

• Artistic activity in outstanding international formations with public presentations at international festivals, clubs and labels
• Promotion of the visibility of the Austrian jazz scene abroad

The artistic personality should embody the broad approach of the Austrian Jazz Award as much as possible: diversity of jazz styles, global music, improvised music; cross-border projects, programs, and productions; instrumental, vocal, and compositional excellence.

Prerequisite: current Austrian citizenship or long-term residence in Austria.

of the Austrian Jazz Prize 2026 (in alphabetical order):

• Andreas Felber – Ö1 Jazz Editor
• Christoph Huber – Porgy & Bess
• Harald Huber – Austrian Music Council (ÖMR)
• Katrin Pröll – IG World Music
• Sabine Reiter – mica / music austria
• Günther Wildner – Austrian Music Council (ÖMR)

The members of the Proponent Committee identify with the objectives of the Austrian Jazz Prize, wish to promote this initiative, and provide their expertise.

In its current composition, it also represents institutions within the Austrian music scene: Austrian Music Council (Harald Huber, Günther Wildner), mica – music austria (Sabine Reiter), Ö1 Jazz Editorial Team (Andreas Felber), IG World Music (Katrin Pröll), and Jazz & Music Club Porgy & Bess (Christoph Huber). From 2024 to 2026, the Austrian Music Council was and is the project organizer.