Musician and medical student Daan Kluwer wins Edison Jazz award

Medical student Daan Kluwer has won the 2026 Edison Jazz award in the best newcomer category. He and his band received the prize for their debut album, The Life of Billy.

The jury praised the album for its narrative compositions, rich detail and distinctive musical signature. It said Kluwer and his band had shown with their debut that he was a promising new voice in Dutch jazz.

“It is an honour”, Kluwer said in response to the award. “You don’t make music to win prizes, but it’s still nice to receive that recognition.”

Slowly gaining traction

The debut album The Life of Billy came out last February. “When it was released, we weren’t immediately booked up with gigs”, Kluwer says. Around the same time, he won the Keep an Eye The Records award. “That’s how the album slowly gained traction and led to a number of gigs. Now, after the Edison, things are really taking off.”

Continuing with clinical placements

Kluwer now performs an average of one to two times a week and is recording his second album in the studio. But that does not mean he is putting his studies on the back burner. He has just completed a surgical placement at a hospital in Breda. “I’m off for a month now, and I’m using that time to record.” In two weeks, the new teaching block in paediatrics and gynaecology begins. “So then it’s on to the next department.”

The Dutch Grammy Award

The Edison is the Netherlands’ oldest music award and is often compared to the American Grammy Awards. The Edisons Jazz are awarded by an independent panel of experts, which assesses submissions on factors including artistic and recording quality. Winners receive a bronze statuette designed by sculptor Pieter d’Hont.