Paul Acket Award
The Paul Acket Award (Bird Award until 2006) is awarded every year by the festival and presented to artists deserving wider recognition for their extraordinary musicianship.
With this award, the North Sea Jazz organization wants to highlight talented jazz musicians at the beginning of their career. These artists are already known within the jazz scene, but not yet recognized by a wider audience. Besides a trophy, the winner of the Paul Acket Awards also receives a cheque of 10,000 euro, meant to push his career even further.
In addition, the festival also knows the Paul Acket Award Special Appreciation, which is awarded on special occasions to a person for meritorious conduct to jazz, in the broadest sense of the word.
Paul Acket Awards winners
2024 - Kit Downes2023 - Eve Risser
2022 - Kris Davis
2019 - Julian Lage
2018 - Kaja Draksler
2017 - Donny McCaslin
2016 - Cécile McLorin Salvant
2015 - Tigran Hamasyan
2014 - Ambrose Akinmusire
2013 - Anat Cohen
2012 - Craig Taborn
2011 - Arve Henriksen
2010 - Christian Scott, Quincy Jones
2009 - Stefano Bollani, Cees Schrama
2008 - Adam Rogers
2007 - Gianluca Petrella, Dick Bakker
2006 - Han Reiziger, Conrad Herwig
Bird Awards winners
2005 - Jos Acket, Ben Allison2004 - Rudy van Gelder, Martijn van Iterson
2003 - Pat Metheny, Rob Madna, Perico Sambeat
2002 - Joe Zawinul, Eric Vloeimans
2001 - Toon Roos
2000 - J.J. Johnson, Michael Moore, Gerry Teekens
1999 - Cecil Taylor, Henk Meutgeert, Dick de Winter
1998 - Max Roach, Hein van de Geyn, Aad Bos
1997 - Clark Terry, Jasper van 't Hof, Greetje Kauffeld
1996 - Ray Brown, Cees Slinger, Pim Jacobs
1995 - Lionel Hampton, Jean 'Toots' Thielemans, Ernst Reijseger
1994 - Ornette Coleman, Pierre Courbois, Dutch Swing College Band
1993 - Sonny Rollins, Hans Dulfer, Paul Acket
1992 - Norman Granz, Michiel de Ruyter, Pete Felleman
1991 - Barry Harris, Rita Reys, Frans Elsen
1990 - Stan Getz, Philip Catherine, Ruud Brink
1989 - Art Blakey, John Surman, Misha Mengelberg
1988 - Dizzy Gilespie, Stephane Grappelli, Willem Breuker
1987 - Benny Carter, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Piet Noordijk
1986 - David Murray, Martial Solal, Rein de Graaff
1985 - Miles Davis, Albert Mangelsdorff, John Engels, Han Bennink
