Nick Fish Jazz Community Award

Montavilla Jazz establishes Nick Fish Jazz Community Award honoring the legacy of “Portland’s Jazz Commissioner” and names Portland drummer Ron Steen its inaugural recipient.

Montavilla Jazz establishes Nick Fish Jazz Community Award

In recognition of the enormous, enthusiastic contribution from Nick Fish to Portland’s jazz community, Montavilla Jazz will presents the 2025 Nick Fish Jazz Community Award on Sunday, August 31st, 2025, at the Mt. Tabor Caldera Amphitheater at 6 pm. This event takes place during the 12th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival running August 29th–31st, 2025.

Here We Grow Mural photo by Neil Mattson

Portland’s Jazz Commissioner

Nick Fish, who passed away early in 2020, won many awards during his twelve years on the Portland City Council, including the Angel Award from White Bird, the Community Partner Award from Metropolitan Youth Symphony, and the McClendon Makarounis Award for Jazz Advocacy from PDX Jazz. He raised funds for and attended the Mount Hood Jazz Festival, PDX Jazz Festival, and Montavilla Jazz Festival in addition to Jazz concerts in Portland parks, despite a schedule that limited his ability to attend these events. Recognizing that he was a champion for the Jazz community, he was given the title of “Portland’s Jazz Commissioner” by veteran Jazz Radio Host and current Montavilla Jazz board member and Vice President, Marcia Hocker.

Read Marcia Hocker’s profile of Commissioner Fish here.

2025 Award Presentation

2025 Award presentation to Nick Gefroh will precede:
Pa’lante
Sunday, August 31st, 6PM
Mt. Tabor Caldera Amphitheater (Mt. Tabor Park)
Passes are available here.

Past Award Winners

2023 Drummer & Bandleader Ron Steen
2024 Broadcaster, writer, and performer Lynn Darroch

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For the love of jazz: Commissioner Nick Fish's lasting legacy

By Marcia K. Hocker

The late Commissioner Nick Fish said, “I have always believed that government can be society’s greatest force for good and that together we can do amazing things. As a member of the Council, I have insisted that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, and I have focused on partnership, collaboration and shared success.” Read more.