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The Boy Edgar Award transferred to the Performing Arts Fund NL

30 April 2021

On the initiative of the Boy Edgar Award Foundation, the organization, selection and presentation of the Boy Edgar Award will be transferred to the Performing Arts Fund NL with effect from April 30, 2021.

The award is named after the Amsterdam jazz trumpet player and bandleader Boy Edgar and is awarded annually to a musician who has made a valuable contribution to the Dutch jazz and improvised music scene. With the transfer to the Performing Arts Fund NL, the prize money will be doubled to € 25,000. The bronze sculpture ‘John Coltrane’ by Jan Wolkers remains an integral part of the award. By transferring the award to the Performing Arts Fund NL, the continuity and reputation of the award, which enjoys international prestige, will be preserved.

The realization of the transfer is a unique public-private partnership between the Performing Arts Fund NL, Buma Cultuur, Sena Performers and North Sea Jazz. Friederike Darius, chairwoman of the Boy Edgar Award Foundation: ‘As the Boy Edgar Award Foundation, we have brought the parties involved together and we are particularly pleased that this has led to a guaranteed continuity of the Boy Edgar Award, and to a doubling of the prize money. We have every confidence that the Performing Arts Fund NL and our regular, loyal partners will continue to present inspiring winners for the most important Dutch jazz award in the coming years.’

Awards ceremony in 2022

There will be no Boy Edgar Award 2021. The concert series of Boy Edgar Award 2020 winner, Ack van Rooyen, has been postponed to the autumn of 2021 due to covid-19 measures. The next announcement of the winner of the Boy Edgar Award will take place during Buma Cultuur’s network and showcase festival InJazz in 2022.

Henriëtte Post, director of the Performing Arts Fund NL: ‘The Boy Edgar Award is one with a long and impressive tradition. The Performing Arts Fund NL is pleased that it can secure the award for the future after consultation with the foundation and parties involved in jazz. Together we want to continue to honor with the Boy Edgar Award the most important Dutch jazz musicians and the Dutch jazz scene and contribute to national and international attention for this.’

About the Performing Arts Fund NL

The Performing Arts Fund NL is the national cultural fund for music, musical theater, dance, theatre and festivals, that has a budget of € 62 million available. The Fund supports all forms of professional performing arts on behalf of the national government and is also responsible for the implementation of various covid-19 support measures. In addition to the Boy Edgar Award, the Performing Arts Fund NL is responsible for the presentation of the Dutch Music Award (classical music) and the Matthijs Vermeulen Award (composition). The Performing Arts Fund NL is also jointly responsible for the presentation of the Toneelschrijfprijs (theatre text), in collaboration with the Taalunie, the Nederlands Letterenfonds and the Vlaams Fonds voor de Letteren.

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