The winners of the Austrian Jazz Awards 2026 have been announced, celebrating outstanding achievements in Austria’s vibrant jazz and global music scene.
The Jazz Awards Academy, comprising 203 experts, selected a total of 34 nominees from 175 submissions in the categories “Newcomer 2026”, “Album 2026” and “Live Act 2026”. A five-member jury of experts then selected the three winners, along with the second- and third-place finalists in each category.
The annual Austrian Jazz Awards, an initiative of the Austrian Music Council (ÖMR), mica – music austria, IG world music, Ö1 and Porgy & Bess, serve as an important platform for raising the profile of and supporting Austria’s vibrant jazz and global music scene.
The 2026 Winners
Newcomer 2026: Lorenz Widauer
Jury statement:
The young trumpeter from Salzburg impresses not only with his outstanding and comprehensive command of his instrument, both as a performer and improviser, but above all with the stylistic diversity of his band projects. With his ensemble Chez Fría, he builds a bridge to classical music (LP Die Kunst dem Fuge), while as a sideman in Yvonne Moriel’s Sweetlife band, he navigates lush dub grooves.
In 2025/26, he released two albums: Until We Meet Again with Iranian-born oud player Avin Ahmadi, and Bangers and Ballads with guitarist Philipp Schiepek. His impressive musical range and infectious enthusiasm for performing extend from the stage music for Salzburg’s Jedermann to major Austrian and European ensembles such as Orjazztra Vienna, Shake Stew and the Focusyear Band under the direction of Wolfgang Muthspiel.
2nd place: Elena Schäfer
3rd place: Avin Ahmadi
Album 2026: Peter Rom – “Wanting Machine II”
Jury statement:
Five years after Wanting Machine (2021), guitarist Peter Rom and bassist Manu Mayr have composed and produced another highly original work of contemporary musical art. The concept of Klangfarbenmelodie (tone-colour melody) is effortlessly combined with elements of the African American jazz tradition, giving the album’s nine tracks their distinctive character.
Additional highlights within the finely textured, groove-driven soundscapes are provided by guest musicians including Lukas König and Valentin Duit (drums), Pamelia Stickney (theremin), Matthew Halpin (saxophone and flute), Benny Omerzell (piano), Martin Eberle (trumpet), Clemens Lendl (violin), David Müller (musical saw and Hammond organ) and Vincent Pongracz (clarinet).
The “desire-driven machine” thus speaks not only to the mind, but also to the heart and the dancing feet.
2nd place: Georg Vogel – Ogilsd Vobi
3rd place: Purple is the Color – Unbemanntes Raumschiff
Live Act 2026: MEL*E
Jury statement:
Three musicians familiar to audiences from numerous other projects have come together to form a distinctive, egalitarian trio: Judith Ferstl (double bass and bass synthesizer), Judith Schwarz (extended drum set) and Viola Hammer (keyboards and synthesizers). Onstage, and increasingly in videos, they unleash a veritable explosion of energetic music that is unafraid of venturing into raw, powerful territory.
Their 2026 album Proud sums it up perfectly: “We all felt like making something loud and danceable for a change,” MEL*E explained in an interview with mica.
The underlying idea is to confront the many challenges of our time with pride and creative strength, drawing inspiration from the energy of protest and translating it into music with extraordinary virtuosity.
Equality between instruments, genders and forms of expression!
2nd place: Jazzorchester Vorarlberg
3rd place: TSOMBANIS4
High Impact Award 2026
This award honours outstanding artists for their exceptional contributions to the development and international representation of the Austrian jazz scene. In 2026, the award goes to:
Michael Mantler
Statement by the Jazz Awards Committee:
Born in Vienna in 1943 and raised in St. Pölten, Michael Mantler first achieved recognition in the avant-garde free jazz scene after moving to the United States in 1962.
Together with Carla Bley, he organised the Jazz Composers Orchestra and worked with artists including Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Larry Coryell, Gato Barbieri, Leroy Jenkins and Charlie Haden, among many others. In 1972, he released one of the most outstanding concept albums in jazz history, Escalator over the Hill.
He subsequently turned his attention to the British art rock scene, collaborating with musicians such as Jack Bruce, Marianne Faithfull and Robert Wyatt. He also composed for a wide range of large and medium-sized ensembles across Europe, frequently placing the synthesis of poetry and music at the heart of his work.
Since 2012, he has found an ideal creative partnership in Christoph Cech and his ensembles, collaborating on world premieres in numerous European countries.
The award ceremony, featuring live performances by the award winners, will take place on the 28th of November 2026 at Dom im Berg in Graz, starting at 7:30 pm. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Ö1 and ORF ON. Get your tickets here!
For 2026, funding partners include the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport, the City of Graz, the Graz Region Tourism Association, Steiermärkische Sparkasse, AKM/austromechana and Jam Music Lab Private University Vienna. Cooperation partners are Stockwerk Jazz Graz and the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG). The awards are supported by media partners Ö1, ORF, Kleine Zeitung and Concerto Magazine.