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ZKB Jazz Award 2026: A Fantastic Finale and Two Happy Bands

Marian Märki09-25-20261 min. read

From September 20 to 25, the ZKB Jazz Prize Festival took place at Moods, featuring a competition for the most lucrative award for emerging Swiss jazz musicians. Espuma Antigua won the competition. Second place went to HOLD. muralim won the audience award.

On Friday evening, the finale of the 2026 ZKB Jazz Prize Festival took place at Moods. Espuma Antigua emerged victorious in the 24th edition of the festival. Regarding the first-place winners, the jury commented: “It’s inspiring to see how Espuma Antigua pays tribute to music from the past in such an innovative way. It’s wonderful to introduce Baroque music to a contemporary audience with this lineup featuring guitar and drums. The ensemble’s sound was unique, and the arrangements were beautiful.”
Watch the video to find out how Espuma Antigua reacted to their victory and what the award means to them:
Second place went to HOLD. Here, too, the jury had nothing but praise: “HOLD experimented and improvised live on stage, which requires a great deal of courage and skill. The three of them are fantastic musicians, and you can tell they’ve been playing together for a long time. Their energy is unmatched.”
The audience also had the chance to award a prize. The ZKB Audience Award went to muralim. They can look forward to a photo shoot at Moods.
In addition to the three winning bands, the Ulysse Loup Large Ensemble, Rufus D, and the Driftwood Quartet were also nominated for the Young Artists Award. All concerts can be viewed on our Streaming Portal be checked.

Streaming the Concerts of the 2026 ZKB Jazz Prize Festival

  • Espuma Antigua

    • Pop / Rock / Singer / Songwriter
    • Jazz Modern Creative
    • Indie
    • Modern Creative Jazz
    • Vocal Jazz

  • HOLD

    • Experimental
    • Jazz Modern Creative
    • Electronic Jazz
    • Experimental Jazz

  • muralim

    • Jazz
    • Groove Jazz
    • Contemporary Jazz
    • Modern Creative Jazz

  • Driftwood Quartet

    • Jazz Modern Creative
    • Fusion
    • Contemporary Jazz

  • Rufus D

    • Jazz Modern Creative
    • Contemporary Jazz
    • Groove Jazz
    • Experimental Jazz

  • Ulysse Loup Large Ensemble

    • Jazz Modern Creative
    • Experimental Jazz
    • Contemporary Jazz
The awards were presented by Mark Roth, vice president of Zürcher Kantonalbank. The prize money is to be used for music—for studio productions, CD and label costs, instruments, promotion, or bookings.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants for four days of wonderful music, and we wish them all the best as they move forward. Photos: Tristan SalvoZKB Jazz Prize: Website