Being the world's largest international and annual jazz award presented from 1990 to 2004, The JAZZPAR Prize is unique. It was on a par with most major cultural prizes. The administration was exclusively in the hands of people from the jazz world. Although generally accepted as one of the important art forms of our time, jazz still needs and merits recognition of its credibility and dignity to improve its status in society. Accordingly, JAZZPAR became an event of proven significance in the international jazz community, from time to time mentioned as The Oscar or The Nobel Prize of Jazz.
   The JAZZPAR Prize was awarded to an internationally known and fully active jazz artist who is specially deserving of further acclaim. One intention was to encourage significant performers to whose future The Prize might be of some consequence. The ambition was to stimulate things to come just as much as to appreciate the past. In a way, JAZZPAR was established to praise and foster jazz music as such - symbolized by the yearly award winners.
   These winners were selected by The International JAZZPAR Committee, a panel of some of the world's most percipient jazz authorities. Each year The Committee picked five Nominees for The Prize.
   The Prize carried with it both a cash award of 200,000 Danish Kroner (approx. 30,000 US $) and presentation of The JAZZPAR Bronze Statuette designed by the Danish artist Jørgen Haugen Sørensen, creator of The JAZZPAR Sculpture where the names of all Prize Winner are engraved on the pedestal of the sculpture.
   JAZZPAR was more than an award. It was also the starting point of The JAZZPAR Activities, taking place in the spring of each year. The principal idea was not only to honor an outstanding artist within jazz and related fields but to also draw attention to music from different parts of the world. Rooted way back in our common music history and based upon numerous cross influences throughout the ages, jazz came to the rest of the world from the United States. Today this music is a truly global art form. Consequently, musicians from various countries were involved in JAZZPAR. In fact, The Project had, as one of its primary objectives, the placement of Danish musicians in their proper international perspective.
   Jazz from Denmark has experienced a notable growth and, this being so, Danish musicians have been presented throughout The JAZZPAR Events. Each year The Danish JAZZPAR Project Committee picked a Danish band leader and act in an advisory capacity as to the group's make up.
   After intensive preparations and rehearsals The Prize Concert Tour took off. The last stage on the tour was The Prize Presentation Concert in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
   Since the very beginning of JAZZPAR radio, TV and other mass media have shown considerable interest in the Project.    
   Thirtyseven JAZZPAR CDs, another important part of The Activities, present the constellations of the JAZZPAR years. Jazzkontakten still has most of the releases for sale.

The JAZZPAR Statuette
designed by
Jørgen Haugen Sørensen