Toronto Arts Foundation Breakthrough Jazz Artist Award

Each year, the Toronto Jazz Festival is honoured to host the presentation of the Toronto Arts Foundation's Breakthrough Jazz Artist Award. A $10,000 cash prize (with finalists receiving $2,000 each), the award celebrates either an outstanding Toronto-based jazz artist with two to seven years of experience in the field, or an artist who previously devoted their career to supporting other artists and are now able to focus on their own solo work. The intention of this award is to further the career of a breakthrough jazz artist. Examples of how this award could support career advancement include, but are not limited to professional development, projects, or marketing/promotion. This year's nominees: Agneya is an Indo-Canadian percussionist & composer exploring rhythm as a meeting place between cultures. Based in Toronto and raised in India, he blends South Asian rhythmic cycles, West African grooves, and jazz improvisation. His eponymous debut album AGNEYA (2026) introduces an immersive, rhythm-driven sound shaped by his global journey. Jon Catanus is a drummer whose musical philosophy is rooted in “diskarte,” which loosely translates to having “hustle,” and a unique style of overcoming obstacles. Outside his own band “Diskarte,” Jon carries his “diskarte” with him, collaborating with creative forces in Toronto such as Jennarie, Orbital Ensemble, & Next Perfect Day. Julian Anderson-Bowes is an acoustic and electric bassist, improviser and composer hailing from Toronto. He performs with a wide range of artists from the jazz, folk, and pop world, and regularly composes and presents his original music with a shifting cast of Toronto’s finest musicians. Join us to celebrate these outstanding artists, and stick around for a performance by the 2025 award winner, Roshane Wright.