Finnish Jazz Artists Honoured in Tampere – Yrjö Award Goes to Pauli Lyytinen

The Finnish jazz scene’s most prestigious awards were presented in Tampere on 30 October. The Finnish Jazz Federation awarded the Yrjö Award to saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen, the Andania Lifetime Achievement Award to the Dallapé orchestra and the Taimi Award for an emerging musician to saxophonist Oona Mattsson. The Varjo-Yrjö Award, presented by Yle, went to Jazzkerho -76, Joensuu ry.

Founded 60 years ago, the Finnish Jazz Federation has presented the Yrjö Award to outstanding Finnish jazz musicians since 1967. This year, the award went to saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen.
– Over the course of a quarter-century career, Pauli Lyytinen has opened up new territory for Finnish jazz and created fascinating musical worlds through his uncompromising willingness to push boundaries, says Janne Tarmio, a member of the award jury comprising representatives of the Finnish Jazz Federation’s board, explaining the reasons behind the award.
– His electroacoustic solo projects and work with numerous small ensembles have built a musical legacy that is both rooted in the present and timeless, Tarmio continues.

Pauli Lyytinen is known as a distinctive saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, improviser and composer whose music fearlessly explores the intersections of rhythmic and art music. A driving force behind numerous ensembles, often with international line-ups, Lyytinen has released more than 30 albums and performed at hundreds of festivals and clubs in 35 countries. His current projects include Pauli Lyytinen Solo, Pauli Lyytinen Rabbit Hole and Elifantree, as well as a collaboration with Sámi poet and musician Niillas Holmberg. Lyytinen’s solo album Lehto/Korpi received the Jazz Emma Award in 2024, while Naarattu laulu, his collaboration with Holmberg, was nominated for the Teosto Prize in 2026.

Following the award ceremony, audiences witnessed the world premiere of a new ensemble featuring Yrjö Award recipient Pauli Lyytinen and drummer Markku Ounaskari. Lyytinen has played with Ounaskari in various ensembles since 2010. Their long-matured collaboration has now also resulted in their debut duo album, which has completed recording. The dialogue between saxophone and drums ranges from minimalist whispers to powerful soundscapes.

In his acceptance speech, Lyytinen celebrated the diversity of jazz and the sense of community within the scene:
– Jazz is an incredibly colourful meadow of flowers, where one extraordinary plant after another grows from the same soil. I feel privileged to be part of this open, supportive and flourishing jazz community. Knowing the dazzling list of previous Yrjö Award recipients, I am deeply honoured and grateful to receive this recognition.

Mari Hallapuro’s Metsä ja yö as This Year’s Yrjö Award Artwork

The Yrjö Award takes the form of an artwork created by a different artist each year. This year’s award artwork is Metsä ja yö (Forest and Night, mezzotint, 2026) by visual artist and printmaker Mari Hallapuro. Created for Pauli Lyytinen, the work depicts a strange and captivating light glowing in the heart of a forest.

“While listening to Pauli Lyytinen’s work, I was delighted to discover the sources of inspiration behind his music. As a visual artist, I felt a connection through our shared themes: we both interpret nature and landscape, albeit through different means and tools. I imagined Lyytinen’s music travelling as sound through the landscape, sometimes hiding behind the trees and swirling around the light. With all its layers, the forest landscape is constantly full of new things to discover and interpret,” Hallapuro explains.

Mari Hallapuro graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2012. In 2025, she received the William Thuring Award in recognition of her artistic achievements. Her works are held in several collections, including the Finnish State Art Collection, the Helsinki Art Museum Collection and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation Collection.

Andania Lifetime Achievement Award Goes to Dallapé

Since 1988, the Finnish Jazz Federation has presented the Andania Award at its discretion in recognition of long-standing and distinguished contributions to Finnish jazz. The award takes its name from the Andania, a ship symbolically credited with bringing jazz to Finland in 1926, exactly 100 years ago. This year’s award went to Dallapé and was accepted by the orchestra’s leader and lead vocalist, Juha Hostikka.

Founded in 1925, Dallapé is Europe’s oldest continuously active entertainment orchestra. Over the decades, the orchestra has turned numerous compositions by Finnish songwriters into evergreen classics and brought major international hits of their time to Finnish audiences.
– Dallapé has helped shape the history of Finnish jazz and rhythmic music since the orchestra’s early days. Its music has brought jazz influences into Finnish musical culture and laid the foundations for the country’s later jazz and big band traditions. During the Jazz in Finland 100 centenary year, it is particularly wonderful to honour an orchestra that remains active today and whose own history stretches back more than a century, says Henriika Steidel-Luoto, a member of the award jury comprising representatives of the Finnish Jazz Federation’s board.

Finnish Jazz Federation’s Taimi Award Goes to Saxophonist Oona Mattsson

The Finnish Jazz Federation’s annual Taimi Award is presented to a young musician who is passionately developing their own musical expression. Through the award, the Federation seeks to encourage emerging musicians to boldly explore and express their own musical voice. The prize also includes performance opportunities at three Finnish jazz festivals in 2027: Pori Jazz, Turku Sea Jazz and Jazz-Espa. The fourth Taimi Award was presented to saxophonist Oona Mattsson.
– Oona Mattsson has rapidly risen to prominence in the Finnish jazz scene with her tradition-informed musicianship and distinctive personal voice. She performs in a wide range of ensembles, from big bands to the New3 trio. Her expressive playing can also be admired in numerous Instagram videos, where she jams with artists such as saxophone star Melissa Aldana, says Jari Perkiömäki, a member of the award jury comprising representatives of the Finnish Jazz Federation’s board.

Yle’s Varjo-Yrjö Award Goes to Jazzkerho -76, Joensuu ry

The Varjo-Yrjö Award, presented by the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle’s Jazzradio in recognition of contributions to the promotion of jazz culture, went to Jazzkerho -76, Joensuu ry. The award was accepted by the association’s chair, Jari Lappalainen. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Jazzkerho -76 has promoted jazz music and served as a meeting point for jazz musicians and enthusiasts in North Karelia for half a century. In addition to concerts, the association’s activities have included the Koli Jazz festival and “musical lectures” introducing audiences to jazz culture.

The awards were presented at Pakkahuone, Tullikamari, in Tampere on 30 October 2026. The ceremony and the concert by Pauli Lyytinen and Markku Ounaskari were part of the programme for the Jazz in Finland 100 centenary celebrations, the Finnish Jazz Federation’s National Jazz Days and Tampere Jazz Happening.