Yrjö Award Concert at Tampere Jazz Happening
The Yrjö Award, presented by the Finnish Jazz Federation, is the most prestigious recognition in the field and is awarded to a distinguished Finnish jazz musician. The Jazz Federation has awarded the Yrjö Award since 1967 as part of the National Jazz Days, an event bringing its membership together, which is being held for the 13th time in conjunction with the Tampere Jazz Happening.
The recipient of the 2026 Yrjö Award will be announced at Tullikamarin Pakkahuone on Friday, October 30, at 7:00 PM as part of the Tampere Jazz Happening program. Following the ceremony, the award-winning artist will perform a short concert. Tickets are not sold separately for the Yrjö ceremony; instead, the concert is included in Friday’s program at Pakkahuone.
A detail of a work by Mari Hallapuro, presented as the 2026 Yrjö Award. Photo: Mari Hallapuro.
The Yrjö Award is a unique work of art created each year by a different artist. This year’s award artwork has been created by visual artist and printmaker Mari Hallapuro. In 2025, Hallapuro was awarded the William Thuring Prize for her artistic merits. Her works can be found in collections including the Finnish State Art Deposit Collection, the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) collection, and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation collection.
Since 1988, the Jazz Federation has also occasionally presented the Andania Award at its discretion for long-standing and meritorious work on behalf of Finnish jazz. In 2023, the Jazz Federation launched the annual Taimi Award, which is presented to a young musician who is passionately developing their musical expression. Taimi Award includes performance opportunities at three domestic jazz festivals.
During the award ceremony, Yleisradio’s Jazzradio will also present its own Varjo-Yrjö (“Shadow Yrjö”) Award to honor contributions to jazz culture.
Cover photo: The 2025 Yrjö Award recipient, vocalist Aili Ikonen, performing at his award concert. Photo: Maarit Kytöharju.