Saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen Wins Finland's 2026 Yrjö Award

Saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen has received the 2026 Yrjö Award, the top honor of the Finnish Jazz Federation (Suomen Jazzliitto). The prize was presented on Friday, Oct. 30, at the Tullikamari Pakkahuone in Tampere as part of Tampere Jazz Happening, the federation's national jazz days and the Jazz Finland 100 anniversary year, according to the festival.

The federation, founded 60 years ago, has given the Yrjö Award to distinguished Finnish jazz musicians every year since 1967. The Finnish newspaper Aamulehti reported that Lyytinen is the 59th recipient of what it called the country's most prestigious jazz prize.

"Over a career spanning a quarter of a century, Pauli Lyytinen has opened up new territory for Finnish jazz and created fascinating musical worlds through his uncompromising breaking of boundaries," said Janne Tarmio, a member of the award panel drawn from the federation's board. He added that Lyytinen's electroacoustic solo projects and his work with several small groups have built a musical legacy that "lives in its time and is at the same time timeless."

The festival describes Lyytinen as a saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, improviser and composer whose music moves freely between rhythm music and art music. He 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. His solo album Lehto/Korpi won the 2024 Jazz Emma, and Naarattu laulu, made with Holmberg, was nominated for the Teosto Prize in 2026.

"Jazz is an incredibly colorful meadow of flowers, where ever more wonderful plants rise from the same soil," Lyytinen said in his acceptance speech, as quoted by the festival. He said he was "hugely touched and grateful" to join the list of past winners.

After the ceremony, Lyytinen premiered a new duo with drummer Markku Ounaskari, with whom he has played in various settings since 2010. The festival says the duo has finished recording its debut album. As is customary, the award itself is an artwork by a different artist each year; this year's piece is the mezzotint Metsä ja yö (Forest and Night) by Mari Hallapuro.

The federation also handed out three other honors. The Andania lifetime achievement award went to the Dallapé orchestra, founded in 1925 and described as Europe's oldest continuously active entertainment orchestra, and was accepted by its leader and singer Juha Hostikka. The Taimi Award for a young musician went to saxophonist Oona Mattsson and includes 2027 performances at Pori Jazz, Turku Sea Jazz and Jazz-Espa. Finnish broadcaster Yle's Varjo-Yrjö recognition went to the Joensuu club Jazzkerho -76, which is marking its 50th anniversary.