The winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2026 – TENOR SAXOPHONE ONLY – was announced on 16 May 2026 at the Jazz Schmiede in Düsseldorf.
Twenty-one-year-old Roland Danyi won the majority of the jury’s votes thanks to his keen musical understanding and his precise, high-calibre playing. His interaction with the band was excellent. He presented himself and his own compositions – quite rightly – with great self-assurance.
In 2026, Roland is in his fifth semester at the Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen, studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Saxophone.
"It was yet another thoroughly enjoyable evening, during which the winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD for tenor saxophone was announced in May 2026. Four young talents performed a short, varied concert to a very high standard, thrilling not only the jury but also the audience at the Jazzschmiede in Düsseldorf. It’s hard to believe that this year’s winner, Roland Danyi, is only in his early 20s. Both musically and technically, he plays at such a high standard that it’s simply a pleasure to listen to him.”
Kristina Brodersen
The YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2026 comes with prize money of €5,000.00. This will be used to organise a concert tour for the winner with their own band at four renowned German jazz clubs in autumn 2026.
Roland Danyi Group
10.10.26 >>> Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf
16.10.26 >>> Insel Wuppertal . Wuppertal
12.12.26 >>> Bunker Ulmenwall . Bielefeld
MATHIS EVERDING
Winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2025 . GUITAR ONLY
There are experiences in the early development of artists that could be described as a spark: for a project or a vision, for the artist's self-image, for the self-confidence and strength to stand behind their own work. For me, the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD was such an experience. The award winners' tour gave me the opportunity and freedom to engage intensively and concretely with my own compositions, to create a vision in collaboration with my band, and to develop it into a coherent concert, a curated Gesamtkunstwerk.
This concrete engagement with the arrangement, the search for timbres and textures in my own music, has helped me grow in many ways as a musician and composer.
The tour was also an opportunity to experience the responsibility of being a bandleader. The largely independent organization of the tour and the diverse communication with clubs, musicians, and sponsors was a new experience for me on a scale that allowed me to grow as a person and as a bandleader. Being responsible for four fellow musicians and their meals, accommodation, and mobility made me more aware of the details and priorities of life on tour.
I would like to emphasize that I found the competition to be very collegial. As musicians, we are often subjected to competitive pressures due to practical constraints, which detracts from musical freedom and solidarity among musicians. We are a community that works together to keep this music alive. I was grateful to experience this atmosphere on the evening of the competition. The YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD is a great opportunity for young musicians in the German jazz scene to gain visibility, network, and take their first steps into life as professional musicians in a protected environment.
>>> Mathis Everding – Winner of the »YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2025«
EVA SWIDERSKI
Winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2024 . VOCALS ONLY
„I am very grateful to have taken part in the »Young Jazz Talent Award« competition and to have been given the opportunity to realise my first tour with my large ensemble EVA. It was a great pleasure to bring my music to the stage with my FLINTA band – hoping to inspire and at the same time bring more diversity to the jazz landscape.
Despite the pressure of competition, I think it's essential that musicians strengthen each other, network and stand up for each other in solidarity. After all, music thrives on exchange and a real community can only exist if everyone is equally free
I found the encounters with the other nominees particularly enriching. I am a big fan of their work, follow their careers with enthusiasm and wish us all the best for the future."
>>> Eva Swiderski – Winner of the »YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2024«
PAUL KÜPPERS
Winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2023 . PIANO ONLY
As a young, artistic person who can ponder a lot and sometimes reflects too much, I was for a long time, and still am to some extent, heavily involved in finding a place in the huge landscape of contemporary music in which my work can find meaning. I don't see my success at the Young Jazz Talent Award as a victory over my fellow competitors, but as a test of courage that challenged me to take the first steps necessary to establish an individual, artistic profile. The competition helped me to find out for myself what I value and want to cultivate artistically. It also made it clearer to me which paths, which had previously seemed vague and unknown to me, I could take.
Compared to two years ago, I am able to see, use and celebrate the diversity and boundlessness of modern music. This applies to all areas of my work - be it composition, performance, concerts or production.
The competition also helped me to find out how to manage my own project efficiently and sensitively as part of my tour. As a result of the evening, which was very positive for me, I can confidently say that I have gained a great deal of self-esteem.
>>> Paul Küppers – Winner of the »YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2023«
MERLIN HELLENKAMP
Winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2022 . DRUMS ONLY
“I remember a very exciting, inspiring and unique competition evening. I particularly enjoyed the personal and musical exchange with the other competition candidates, the musicians and the jury. So winning was the icing on the cake for an already successful evening. I also remember being very excited, especially during my performance and at the moment of the award ceremony.
The tour associated with the win gave me an impressive insight into the perspectives within the jazz scene: composing the musical suite “LOVE”, planning the tour, communicating with the jazz clubs and venues, a little insight into the world of “tour life”, in which we played with the band in a different city every night. The promotion of the project was sustainable and has enabled me to organize further follow-up performances for the project to this day.
Musically, I am now not only a percussionist in a variety of projects, but also a composer, arranger and conductor. The musical scene at the Folkwang is particularly close to me because of the musical stylistic versatility, the combination of text, music and dance and especially the possibility of being able to convey meaningful experiences and perspectives on these three levels intensively and authentically within the framework of a musical. In February 2025, I premiered my first jointly written musical “Es Wird - Schon Wieder” with orchestra together with the musical students at Folkwang. Further musical projects are being planned.”
>>> Merlin Hellenkamp – Winner of the »YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2022«
