The Art Breaks Walls Award is a recognition given to an esteemed artist in jazz, improvised music, or contemporary music. The first Art Breaks Walls award was presented to saxophonist-composer Mikko Innanen on December 4, 2023.
Award Value
The Art Breaks Walls award is valued at €4,995.
Purpose and Criteria
The award aims to promote jazz, improvised music, and contemporary music in Finland, enhance their quality, and encourage active contributors in these fields to break down barriers between art forms. It is awarded to a distinguished artist who actively advances these goals, remains engaged in the field, and pioneers in performance art development.
Each year, the award is presented without application to an artist performing in Finland, selected by a panel appointed by Helsinki Jazz Association as best fulfilling these goals.
Award Funding
The award is funded by private individual Hannu Luntiala, who also serves on the awarding panel.
Background on the Organizers and Funders
Helsinki Jazz Association is a vibrant, networked community in the music field dedicated to supporting jazz, improvised, and contemporary music. Founded on April 1, 1974, the association’s core activities include organizing the andZZanti concert series and events in Helsinki, featuring high-quality Finnish and international musicians across various jazz and improvisational styles.
The association collaborates with many organizations in Finland and internationally, and it is a member of the Finnish Jazz Federation, LiveFIN, and the Europe Jazz Network. Helsinki Jazz also collaborated for years with the Music Archive, which awarded the Erik Lindström Fund grants to young musicians until spring 2021.
Recent years have seen support for Helsinki Jazz’s concerts and activities from the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the City of Helsinki, the Swedish Cultural Foundation, and Music Finland’s Musiikki Suomi LIVE support program.
About Hannu Luntiala
Hannu Luntiala, a long-time jazz enthusiast, served as Helsinki Jazz’s chairman during the 1970s. He has produced jazz programs for Yleisradio and written numerous jazz reviews for Rytmi, Finland’s oldest jazz publication. Luntiala also actively supports culture through the Art Breaks Walls initiative, which funds jazz music in collaboration with Helsinki Jazz and literature through Aviador Publishing. He is also a patron on the Mesenaatti crowdfunding platform.
The award ceremony took place at Hakasalmi Villa during a andZZanti concert on November 11, 2025, featuring the Iro Haarla Ouranos Ensemble with Aija Puurtinen.
Photo: Shane Rozario