Here are the prize winners of this year’s Jazz Showcase!

The Jazz Showcase, which entered the age of adulthood this year, once again introduced jazz fans to six formations just embarking on their careers – and of course to the members of the international panel of judges. In the evenings, established bands in the genre performed in concert.

The 2025 Jazz Showcase judges’ award was won by the Szabolcs Horváth Quartet, while the Barnabás Négyessy Quartet received the most votes from the audience; the reward for each band is the opportunity to perform on 30 April, which happens to be International Jazz Day, at Müpa Budapest.

Thanks to the generosity of the event’s partners, the youngsters also received several special prizes.

The Budapest Music Center special prize and the Lamantin Jazz Festival and Improvisation Camp award were also won by the Barnabás Négyessy Quartet. The Hungarian Jazz Federation granted several bands valuable opportunities to perform. The Márton Lukács Trio and the Balázs Horváth Quartet have been invited to its “Wonderful Hungarian Jazz – A Celebration of Jazz and Wine” event, while the Szabolcs Horváth Quartet will take the stage at the Debrecen Wine and Jazz Days. The first formation will also appear at the Paloznak Jazz Picnic, with the latter playing the Zemplén Festival. In addition to getting the call to perform at the Valley of Arts Festival in Veronika Harcsa’s Coutyard, Tilia will also get the chance to play the Rosé, Riesling and Jazz Days at VeszprémFest. Dilladelphia did not leave the awards ceremony empty handed either: The band scooped the Sopronfest and Jókai Klub special prizes. Albert Horváth received invitations as a soloist from the 606 Club in London and the Harmonia Jazz Workshop.

For the first time this year, individual European Liszt Institutes offered competitors opportunities to perform as part of the Petőfi Cultural Programme. What is more, it is thanks to them that more people than ever were able to enjoy the Jazz Showcase concerts outside Hungary. The Collegium Hungaricum in Vienna awarded the Márton Lukács Trio, the Collegium Hungaricum in Belgrade gave a prize to the Barnabás Négyessy Quartet, the Collegium Hungaricum in Rome awarded the Balázs Horváth Quartet, the Brussels Liszt Institute gave a prize to Dilladelphia, the London Liszt Institute awarded the Szabolcs Horváth Quartet, and the Zagreb Liszt Institute gave a prize to Tilia.

We would like to thank everyone who joined us in person or online over the past three days, and we wish to congratulate all prize winners.