Kongsberg Jazzfestival

Kongsberg Jazz Festival or Kongsberg Jazzfestival is an international jazz festival that has been held annually in Kongsberg, Norway, since 1964.

Kongsberg Jazz Festival Kongsberg Jazzfestival
Kongsberg Jazzfestival logo.
Status	Active
Genre	Jazz Festival
Date(s)	Early July
Frequency	Annually
Location(s)	Kongsberg
Country	Norway
Years active	1964 – present
Inaugurated	Founded 1963
Website	kongsbergjazz.no

Artists

A concert at Energimølla during the 2018 festival.

Several worldwide great artists have visited Kongsberg during this festival; international stars including Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Nigel Kennedy, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, McCoy Tyner, Radka Toneff, Bobby McFerrin, John Butcher, Anthony Braxton, Diana Krall and Pat Metheny have played in Kongsberg several times.^[1][2]

The festival is also an opportunity for young talented musicians to perform, and many now well-known Norwegian jazz-artists have begun their career in Kongsberg.^[3]

Awards

The Kongsberg Jazz Award (also called the DNB award, established in 1996) is an award given to the most prominent Norwegian jazz artists of the year at the festival, given in cooperation with DNB.^[4]

Until 2011, the prize was 100,000 Norwegian kroner, but from 2012 it was raised to 300,000 Norwegian kroner, which makes it the largest jazz price in Norway.^[4][5]

The award has previously been named DnB NOR-prisen, Vital-prisen and KlartSvar-prisen, for who has sponsored the prize over the years.

The ceremony takes place at the jazz festival's last day. As part of the prize, the winner gives a concert at the festival the following year.^[6]

Award winners

Year	Award winners	Instruments
2018	Eirik Hegdal	saxophone
2017	Marius Neset	saxophone
2016	Susanna Wallumrød	vocals
2015	Ellen Andrea Wang	bass
2014	Mathias Eick	trumpet
2013	Håkon Mjåset Johansen[5][7]	drums
2012	Ola Kvernberg[8]	violin
2011	Arve Henriksen[9]	trumpet
2010	Maria Kannegaard[10]	piano
2009	Ole Morten Vågan[11]	double bass
2008	Helge Lien[6][12]	piano
2007	Morten Qvenild[13]	piano
2006	Håvard Wiik[14]	piano
2005	Solveig Slettahjell[15]	vocals
2004	Ingebrigt Håker Flaten[16]	double bass
2003	Live Maria Roggen[17]	vocals
2002	Håkon Kornstad Trio[18] Håkon Kornstad Paal Nilssen-Love Mats Eilertsen	saxophone drums upright-bass
2001	Christian Wallumrød[19]	piano
2000	Petter Wettre[20]	saxophone
1999	Audun Kleive[4]	drums
1998	Sidsel Endresen[4]	vocals
1997	Bugge Wesseltoft[4]	piano
1996	Nils Petter Molvær[4]	trumpet