M.A.M.A. Awards
2025 became a historic milestone for the Lithuanian jazz community: for the first time in the history of the M.A.M.A. music awards a separate “Jazz of the Year” nomination was established. Its creation marks an important recognition of Lithuanian jazz in the country’s wider music industry and gives jazz creators a permanent place among the most important Lithuanian music award categories.
The nomination was created to recognise the most significant Lithuanian jazz releases and to reflect the creativity, professionalism, continuity and international relevance of the country’s jazz scene.
The first “Jazz of the Year” nominees in M.A.M.A. history were
- All Reeds Duoalbum “Reeds”
- Donatas Petreikisalbum “Northern Dream”
- Jan Maksimowicz ir Dmitrij Golovanovalbum “After Čiurlionis”
- Mindaugas Stumbrasalbum “The Spinner of Yarns”
- Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemblealbum “Odd Numbers” · winner
At the jubilee 15th M.A.M.A. awards ceremony on 20 February 2026, another important page of Lithuanian jazz history was written – the first M.A.M.A. “Jazz of the Year” award went to Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble for the album “Odd Numbers”.
This award matters not only to its winners. For the first time on the M.A.M.A. stage jazz was recognised as an independent category alongside the most prominent Lithuanian music genres. It is a significant step in raising the visibility of Lithuanian jazz, strengthening its position in the country’s music industry and presenting the contemporary Lithuanian jazz scene to an even wider audience.
The first “Jazz of the Year” award has been presented, but it is also the beginning of a new tradition – from now on Lithuanian jazz has its place in the history of the country’s most important music awards.