Amaro Freitas wins the Paul Acket Award 2026

Amaro Freitas (1991) is a Brazilian jazz pianist, born in the favelas of Recife. With his raw and unique timbre, he tells the story of his culture through the music, presenting a fresh and ‘decolonized’ interpretation of Brazilian jazz. Themes such as nature, indigenous spirituality, and local cultures regularly appear in his compositions.

Freitas has grown into one of the continent’s most surprising and virtuoso jazz musicians. He seamlessly intertwines local musical styles with modern jazz, inviting listeners to participate in the diverse character of a new jazz sound.

Jury member Maaike Teunissen, jazz programmer at Brebl in Nijmegen, is impressed by his innovative style, in which he connects jazz and Brazilian rhythms in a percussive, energetic, and virtuosic manner: “His unique piano approach gives jazz an exciting, fresh, and innovative direction,” according to Teunissen.

With the Paul Acket Award ‘Artist Deserving Wider Recognition’, named after the festival’s founder, the organization aims to draw attention to exceptional jazz musicians who deserve more recognition and a larger audience for their work. Previous winners include Sun-Mi Hong (2025), Kit Downes (2024), Eve Risser (2023), Kris Davis (2022), and Julian Lage (2019).