On 4th of December 2023, for the first time, the Jazz Breaks Walls recognition award was given to saxophonist, composer Mikko Innanen.
Art Breaks Walls is a recognition award given to a respected artist working in the field of jazz, improvised music and contemporary music.
The amount of the award
The Art Breaks Walls recognition prize is €4995.00.
Purpose and principle of distribution
The aim of awarding the recognition award is to promote the recognition of jazz music, improvised music and contemporary music in our country, to raise the quality of these and to encourage active players in the field to break the boundaries between the arts. The recognition award is given to a distinguished artist who has promoted the aforementioned goals with his activities, is still active in the field and develops his artistic activity as a pioneer of performing arts.
The award is given annually, without application, to an artist performing in Finland, whom the jury appointed by the Helsinki Jazz ry deems to best promote the aforementioned purposes.
Funding of the award
The award is financed by private individual Hannu Luntiala. He is also a member of the jury.
Hannu Luntiala is a long-time jazz enthusiast. He served as chairman of the Helsinki Jazz ry for many years in the 1970s. He has made several jazz programs for Yleisradio and has written dozens of jazz reviews for the columns of Rytmi.
After the award distribution, Mikko played an excellent concert with Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten. Matti Laipio wrote a review of the concert on Jazzrytmit (only in Finnish).
