2026 Festival Award Winners
Throughout the Festival, our guest artists/adjudicators designate individual musicians as “outstanding” for solo, section, or composing/arranging work. At the close of the weekend, they designate a handful of ensembles as “outstanding” overall.
Outstanding Ensemble Awards
Augustana Jazz Ensemble
- Alex Sell
- Emily Churak
- Sierra Jelinek
- Zander Ulam
CCM Jazz Lab Orchestra
- Elijah Woodward
- Kahle Sykora
- Kosta Brunson
- Marcel Emmanuel
- Thomas Putterbaugh
Columbia College Combo
- Chris Rogich
- Daniel Rovinsky
- Dante Nottoli
- Marcellus Williams
DuPage Community Jazz Ensemble
- Daniel Cruz-Mata
- Henry Rutkowski
- Keithia Williams
DuPage Community Jazz Ensemble II
- Larry Pilon
- Theodore Cleveland
Elmhurst University Combo
- Aiden Pelletier
Elmhurst University Jazz Band
- Brian Tacastacas
- Damir Facso
- Hannah Joyner
- Ian Martinez
- Jack McGreevy
- John Pinns
- Matt Swick
- Patrick Nacorda
- T.J Countryman
- Taylor Nygren
- Youssef El Yakine
Elmhurst University Lab Band
- Alex Smith
- Anna Keeny
- Anthony Cox
- Audrey Dunwoody
- Julian Klimczyk
Elmhurst University Late Night Blues
- Ella Boyden
- Ira Cortes
- Jack McGreevy
Harper Jazz Ensemble
- Isaac Rapp
Harper Jazz Ensemble II
- Anna Thompson
- Anthony Nardiello
- Brendan Hill
- Brian Hilton
- Daniel Karsbaeka
- Jim Martin
- Jon Proctor
- Mike Angelaccio
- Richie Drombroski
- Steven Ojeda
Illinois Wesleyan University
- Diego Martinez
- Doug Kampschroer
- Jackson Baker
- Jacob Wissmiller
Joliet Junior College Jazz Band
- Dave Griesemer
- Joe Madden
Newberry College
- Colton Bewley
- David Price
- Gus Lanford
- Jorge Martinez, Jr
- Tristin Reid
- Tyre Timbers
Olivet Nazarene University
- Caleb Jones
- Mason Routt
- Steven Meyer
- Tyler Smotherman
Ohio University Jazz Ensemble I
- Ben Trimboli
- Phil Wilfong
Purdue Combo
- Carl Nielsen
- Dan Gui
- Elliot Woo
- Jascha Lewit
- Max Vallone
- Seth Dewhitt
Purdue Jazz Band
- Carl Nielsen
- Dan Gui
- Elliot Woo
- Emma Krueger
- Livy Helmuth
- Seth Dewhitt
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Jazz Ensemble I
- Adriel Correa
- John Woznickl
Outstanding Individual Awards
Ashland University
- Dom Cole
- Kayin McDonald
- Thor McDonald
- Stephen Struckmann
- Grant Vance
Capital University Big Band
- Nate Dickas
- Daniel Johnson-Brewer
- Kristin Kalnapenk
- Issac Lutz
- Emma McCalle
- Kyson Orick
- Lucas Ruetz
- Sy Ward
- Gracie Westergaard
- Parker Wilkinson
Columbia College Fusion Ensemble
- Bea Fuadin
- Madi Janosch
- Henry Parmenter
Elmhurst University
- Frank Barrett
- Aldre Delos-Santos
- Jack McGreevey
- Mickey O’Brien
- John Pinns
- Meghan Sandberg
- Brian Tacastacas
Elmhurst University Combo
- Maddux Masopust
- Aidan Pelletier
- Matt Swick
Hillsdale College Big Band
- Matthew Byrne
- Nate Fish
- Owen Gerth
- Gavin Listro
- Morgan Milam
- Dravyn Spies
KCKCC Blue Devil Funk Band
- James Barton
- Caden Bradshaw
- Heidi Eberhardt
- Ben Jackson
- Michael Suniano
- Noah Randal
KCKCC Jazz Combo
- Heidi Eberhardt
- Nick Gasser
- Joel Martinez
- Luke Paulson
Northwestern University Jazz Orchestra
- Brandon Harper
- Eli Sullivan
- Ethan Weisman
The Ohio State University Jazz Ensemble
- Peter Brown
- Alexis Cunningham
- Lily Kent
- Victor Madeline
- Ivan Murray
- Joung-Min Oh
- Drew Powell
- Nick Serrano
- Izaiah Steenrod
- Andrew Theiss
ONU Jazz Combo
- Josh Ferguson
- Kent Gieselmen
- Steven Meyer
Purdue Jazz Band
- Seth Dewhitt
- Olivia Helmuth
- Jasha Lewit
- Mason Nichols
- Grace O’Neil
- Garrett Malmborg
- Robert Weimer
- Elliot Woo
UW-Whitewater Jazz Ensemble I
- Anton Saucedo
- Alex Martin
- Tommy Swanick
UW-Whitewater Jazz Ensemble II
- Brandon Harper
- Eli Sullivan
- Ethan Weisman