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

  • 2025 - Sun-Mi Hong
  • 2024 - Kit Downes
  • 2023 - 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 Allison
  • 2004 - 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