The Art Breaks Walls Reward was presented on November 24, 2025, to pianist, composer and inventor Kari Ikonen.
Mikko Innanen got the first Reward 2023 and the second one got Iro Haarla 2024.
The Art Breaks Walls reward is granted to a distinguished artist working in the fields of jazz, improvised music, and contemporary music.
Award Amount
The Art Breaks Walls reward amounts to €4,995.
Purpose and Criteria
The purpose of the award is to promote the recognition of jazz, improvised music, and contemporary music in Finland, enhance their quality, and encourage active contributors in the field to break down the boundaries between different art forms.
The award is presented to an accomplished artist who has advanced these goals through their work, remains actively engaged in the field, and continues to innovate as a pioneer of performing arts. The award is given annually without application to an artist performing in Finland, selected by a jury appointed by Helsinki Jazz ry, based on how well they fulfil these objectives.
Funding
The award is funded by private individual Hannu Luntiala, who is also a member of the awarding jury.
