News • 28.11.2024

DMA Jazz opens for nominations and introduces new categories

DMA Jazz celebrates the year’s releases, but also aims to honor jazz as live music and musicians who make the music exceptional. This is reflected in the new categories.

DMA Jazz opens for nominations and introduces new categories

DMA Jazz celebrates the year’s releases, but Jazz Denmark also aims to honor jazz as live music and highlight the musicians who make the music exceptional, both through their collective efforts and their individual uniqueness and virtuosity. This is reflected in the new categories.

Changes Made After Consultation with Jazz Scene Stakeholders

Following a thorough review of the existing categories, as well as research and consultation with various stakeholders from the jazz scene, Jazz Denmark’s secretariat and board have decided to introduce four new categories for DMA Jazz 2024. At the same time, four other categories will be discontinued.

The four new categories for DMA Jazz 2024 are:

  • Musician of the Year
  • Alternative Jazz Release of the Year
  • Live Act of the Year
  • Venue of the Year

Eva Frost, director of Jazz Denmark, commented on the changes:
“We have a strong desire for the Danish Music Awards Jazz to remain a dynamic awards show, and we regularly review various parameters. This year, it was time to take a closer look at the categories. We believe that the new categories will reflect the many facets of the jazz scene and shine a strong spotlight on the incredibly talented musicians we have in this country.”

The categories for the Danish Music Awards Jazz 2024 are:

Main Categories – All releases are eligible:

  • Jazz Release of the Year (8 nominees)
  • Jazz Composer of the Year (8 nominees)
  • Musician of the Year (8 nominees)

Special Categories – Defined by specific characteristics:

  • New Jazz Artist of the Year (5 nominees)
  • Single of the Year (5 nominees)
  • Alternative Jazz Release of the Year (5 nominees)

New Live Awards:

  • Live Act of the Year (3 nominees)
  • Venue of the Year (3 nominees)

All eight winners will receive the iconic DMA statuette, the DMA bird, and all awards will be presented during the annual DMA Jazz show, organized by Jazz Denmark.

As in previous years, the show will also feature a special award: The P8 Jazz Award – Jazz Enthusiast of the Year, nominated by P8 Jazz listeners and selected by the P8 editorial team.

Nominees and winners in the main and special categories are chosen by a rotating nine-member academy. The two live categories are assessed by a specially appointed live academy.

 

New categories: Musician of the Year, Alternative Jazz Release of the Year, Live Act of the Year, and Venue of the Year

Among the main categories, we are introducing Musician of the Year. This award is given to a musician for an extraordinary performance on a specific release.

On the live front, two new categories are being introduced: Live Act of the Year and Venue of the Year. The first is awarded to a musician or band that has made a significant impact in live performances during the year, while the latter is given to a venue, concert club, association, organizer, or festival that has made a special contribution to jazz. Although Danish Music Awards Jazz is primarily an awards show celebrating the year’s releases, we also want to recognize that jazz thrives particularly on live stages.

In the field of special awards, a new category has been added: Alternative Jazz Release of the Year. This category celebrates everything that stands out from the overall nominations, is difficult to categorize, and/or breaks with established genres.

As part of the restructuring, Jazz Denmark’s secretariat and board have decided to discontinue the following categories: Experimental Release of the Year, Vocal Jazz Release of the Year, Cross-Aesthetic Release of the Year, and Jazz Denmark Award – Concert Experience of the Year.

The new category structure has been developed based on dialogue with the jazz community. The academy is committed to working with genre diversity across all categories. The intention remains for Danish Music Awards Jazz to represent and celebrate the entire jazz scene in all its facets.

Children’s Jazz Award moves to Tivoli

The Children’s Jazz Award will continue to exist but in a new form as part of the new, grand award show Tivoli Jazz Prize, also organized by Jazz Denmark in collaboration with Tivoli. Going forward, the award will be presented as a grant in collaboration with LMS (Live Music in Schools) to a children’s jazz artist.

The purpose of the Children’s Jazz Award remains to celebrate musicians who contribute to fostering a lifelong love of music in future generations of musical talents and music enthusiasts.

Stay updated via Jazz Denmark’s website and newsletter for more information about this.

Submit your release

All submitted releases must meet the following criteria:

  • The bandleader or the majority of participants on the record must be Danish, meaning born in Denmark, permanently residing in Denmark, or having a significant connection to Denmark.
  • The release must have been published between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

 

Submit your release

Submit your release for Single of the Year

Single of the Year celebrates outstanding individual tracks. The track may be part of an album but must also have been released as a single. Each artist can only submit one track for Single of the Year.

Submit your single here

Nudge your colleague

Remember to submit your release and feel free to tap a colleague or two on the shoulder to ensure that all the many jazz releases published between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, are taken into consideration. Even if you have previously submitted your music physically or digitally to Jazz Danmark, you still need to submit it through the official DMA Jazz system.

If you experience any issues with submitting your music via the online system, please feel free to contact Peter von Freiesleben, who can guide you through the submission process.

Contact

Peter von Freiesleben

Project Manager

+45 33 45 43 00

peter@jazzdanmark.dk

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