Three bands from US conservatories and three CvA bands competed on April 1st in the final to a packed Bimhuis. North by North East - formed by CvA students Toms Rudzinskis, alto sax, Matiss Cudars, guitar, Joel Illerhag, double bass, Kaspars Kurdeko, drums - won de Keep an Eye International Jazz Award, an amount of € 2500,-. First runner up was MSM Jazz Quartet from the Manhattan School of Music, New York, they won € 1000,-. Drummer Jake Goldbas (MSM Jazz Quartet (New York)) won the ‘Best American Musician’ prize: participation in the Summer Jazz Workshop at the CvA, July CvA 2012. Pianist Liya Grigorian (Soso Lakatos Quartet (CvA) won the ‘Best Dutch Musician’ prize: participation in the Hudson Jazz Workshop in New York, August 2012. The ‘Best Composition’ prize of € 500,- was awarded to Sandor Lakatos (Soso Lakatos Quartet, CvA).