For the fourth year in a row, we were proud to produce the APPLAUS Award, this time held at the Volkstheater in Rostock.

The APPLAUS Award, presented by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), honors outstanding concert programs from independent music clubs and event series in popular music and jazz. With prize money totaling around 2 million euros, it stands as one of the highest-funded cultural awards in Germany.

The 11th APPLAUS Award ceremony featured inspiring speeches from Culture Minister Claudia Roth and Rostock’s Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger. Bettina Martin, Minister for Science, Culture, Federal and European Affairs of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, also shared her thoughts. Personal laudations were given to the awardees by jazz musician Antonia Hausmann, artist Angela Aux (Florian Kreier), and author Geralf Pochop. The evening’s musical program included performances by Hinterlandgang, Olga Reznichenko Trio, and 24/7 Diva Heaven. Journalist and DJ Gesine Kühne hosted the event for the first time.

The evening was topped off with a networking dinner before the ceremony and an afterparty at Peter Weiss Haus with DJ Duo Fischfingers.