ISB Awards Past Winners

To read about the ISB Awards procedures, click here.

2025

Distinguished Achievement Award

Ed Barker

Special Recognition Awards

Composition — Sam Suggs
Lutherie — Thomas Martin
Scholarship — Jeff Bradetich
Teaching — Rufus Reid
Solo Performance — Joelle Leandre and Mikyung Sung
Jazz Performance — Matthew Brewer
Orchestral Performance — Lawrence Hurst and Chris Hanulik
Historically Informed Performance — Alison Mackay
Young Bassist Ambassador — Jason Heath
Special Merit — Gaelen McCormick

2023

Distinguished Achievement Award

Harold "Hal" Robinson

Special Recognition Awards

Composition — Nicholas Walker
Lutherie — Susan Lipkins
Scholarship — Heather Miller Lardin
Teaching — Linda McKnight
Solo Performance — Lorraine Campet
Jazz Performance — Linda May Han Oh
Orchestral Performance — Edicson Ruiz
Historically Informed Performance — Heather Miller Lardin
Young Bassist Ambassador — Johnny Hamil
Special Merit — Joseph Conyer
Friend of the Bass — Robert Black

2021

Distinguished Achievement Award

Edgar Meyer

Humanitarian Awards

Gary Karr
François Rabbath
Frank Proto

Special Recognition Awards

Composition — Tony Osbourne (posthumous)
Lutherie — James Ham
Scholarship — Shanti Nachtergaele
Teaching — Jeff Bradetich
Solo Performance — Boguslaw Furtok, Christine Hoock and Edicson Ruiz
Jazz Performance — Miroslav Vitous
Orchestral Performance — Joseph Conyers and Scott Pingel
Historically Informed Performance — Chi-chi Nwanoku
Young Bassist Ambassador — Gaelen McCormick
Special Merit — Barry Green

2019

Distinguished Achievement Award

Diana Gannett

Special Recognition Awards

Composition — Andres Martin
Lutherie — Nick Lloyd
Scholarship — Fiona Palmer
Teaching — Caroline Emery
Solo Performance — Rinat Ibragimov
Jazz Performance — Esperanza Spalding
Orchestral Performance — Matthew McDonald & Janne Saksala
Historically Informed Performance — Maggie Urquardt
Collaborative Music — Bill Mays, Piano
Young Bassist Ambassador — Tracy Rowell
Special Merit — Jason Heath
Friend of the Bass — Marcel Villaflor

2017

Distinguished Achievement Award

Orin O'Brien

Special Recognition Awards

Composition — John Clayton & Bert Turetzky
Lutherie — Steve Reiley
Scholarship — Eugene Levinson
Teaching — Diana Gannett & Jack Budrow
Solo Performance — David Murray
Jazz Performance — Stanley Clarke & Eddie Gomez
Orchestral Performance — Orin O'Brien
Historically Informed Performance — Joëlle Morton
Collaborative Music — Sheila Jordan, vocalist, & Marina Pacowski, pianist
Young Bassist Ambassador — Derek Weller & Dan Swaim
Special Merit — David Gage
Friend of the Bass — Jason Heath

2015

Distinguished Achievement Award

Lucas Drew

Special Recognition Awards

Composition — Edgar Meyer
Lutherie — Mario Lamarre
Scholarship — Michael Greenberg
Teaching — Harold Robinson
Solo Performance — Božo Paradžik
Jazz Performance — John Patitucci
Orchestral Performance — Joel Quarrington
Historically Informed Performance — Jerry Fuller
Collaborative Music — Gene Bertoncini
Young Bassist Ambassador — Kristin Korb
Special Merit — Lucas Drew
Friend of the Bass — Peter Gallagher
Friend of the Bass — Ralph Alcala
Friend of the Bass — Colorado State University
Friend of the Bass — Howard Eisberg

2013

Distinguished Achievement Award

Lawrence Hurst

Special Recognition Awards

Composition - Rufus Reid
Lutherie - Arnold Schnitzer
Scholarship - David A. Moore
Teaching - Harold Robinson
Solo Performance - Catalin Rotaru
Jazz Performance - Christian McBride
Orchestral Performance - Timothy Cobb
Historically Informed Performance - James Lambert
Collaborative Music - Dianne Frazer
Young Bassists Ambassador - John Kennedy
Special Merit - Jon Deak
Friend of the Bass - Acoustic Image
Friend of the Bass - The Eastman School of Music
Friend of the Bass - Barrie Kolstein
Friend of the Bass - J.C. Jones

2011

Distinguished Achievement Award

Franco Petracchi

Special Recognition Awards

Composition - John Harbison
Lutherie - Lynn Hannings
Scholarship - Tobias Gloeckler
Teaching - Orin O'Brien
Solo Performance - Joel Quarrington
Jazz Performance - Charlie Haden
Orchestral Performance - Ed Barker
Historically Informed Performance - David Sinclair
Collaborative Music - Harmon Lewis
Young Bassists Ambassador - David Young
Special Merit - Paul Ellison
Friend of the Bass - Dustin Williams

2009

Distinguished Achievement Award

Ron Carter

Special Recognition Awards

Composition - Peter Askim
Lutherie - Michael Krahmer
Scholarship - John Goldsby
Teaching - François Rabbath
Solo Performance - Renaud Garcia Fons
Jazz Performance - Rufus Reid
Orchestral Performance - Klaus Stoll
Historically Informed Performance - Rob Nairn
Young Bassists Ambassador - Cathy Elliot
Special Merit - L'Orchestre de Contrabasses
Friend of the Bass - Sue Haug, Director of the Penn State School of Music
Friend of the Bass - Barbara Korner, Dean of the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Friend of the Bass - Russell Bloom
Friend of the Bass - Pasquerilla Spiritual Center

2007

Distinguished Achievement Award

Tony Bianco

Special Recognition Awards

Composition - Dave Anderson
Lutherie - David Gage
Scholarship - Lucas Drew
Teaching - Franco Petracchi
Solo Performance - Stefano Scodanibbio
Jazz Performance - Ron Carter
Orchestral Performance - Joe Guastafeste
Historically Informed Performance - Tobias Gloeckler
Young Bassists Ambassador - Barry Green
Special Merit - Bert Turetzky
Friend of the Bass - Nick Lloyd
Friend of the Bass - Southwest Airlines

2005

Distinguished Achievement Award

Frank Proto

Special Recognition Awards

Composition - François Rabbath
Lutherie - Daniel Hachez
Scholarship - Joëlle Morton
Teaching - Lawrence Hurst
Solo Performance - Duncan McTier
Jazz Performance - Dave Holland
Orchestral Performance - Harold Robinson
Young Bassists Ambassador - Virginia Dixon
Special Merit - Frank Proto
Special Merit - Yoan Goilav
Friend of the Bass - Bill and Hal Slapin
Friend of the Bass - Laura Welland
Friend of the Bass - Andrea Carvey
Friend of the Bass - Anne Berquist
Friend of the Bass - Bob Lewis
Friend of the Bass - Randy Knific
Friend of the Bass - Judith Bailey
Friend of the Bass - Margaret Merrion
Friend of the Bass - Heather Rodriguez
Friend of the Bass - Carl Doubleday
Friend of the Bass - Nina Nelson
Friend of the Bass - Jeffrey Harkins
Friend of the Bass - William D. Johnston
Friend of the Bass - Steven and Paula Reiley
Friend of the Bass - Thomas and Donna Lambert
Friend of the Bass - Jerry and Betty Mason
Friend of the Bass - William Maxey
Friend of the Bass - Benjamin Maxey and Sandra Sims
Friend of the Bass - Jerry and Janice Stifler
Friend of the Bass - John and Pauline Kiltinen

2003

Distinguished Achievement Award

François Rabbath

Special Recognition Awards

Composition - Teppo Hauta-aho
Lutherie - Barrie Kolstein
Scholarship - Paul Brun
Teaching - Paul Ellison
Classical Performance - Franco Petracchi
Jazz Performance - John Clayton
Orchestral Performance - Eugene Levinson
Young Bassists Ambassador - Helen Stevenson
Friend of the Bass - Steve Reinfranck
Friend of the Bass - Peter Infeld
Friend of the Bass - Gene Lees

2001

Distinguished Achievement Award

Rufus Reid

Special Recognition Awards

Composing - Stefano Scodanibbio
Lutherie - Jean Auray
Classical Performance - François Rabbath
Jazz Performance - Ray Brown
Scholarship - Chris Brown
Teaching - Gary Karr
Young Bassist Ambassador - Inez Wyrick
Friend of the Bass - Bill Mays and Tim Froncek

1999

Distinguished Achievement Award

David Walter

Special Recognition Awards

Composing - Edgar Meyer
Making / Repairing - Christian Laborie
Performing - François Rabbath
Scholarship - Murray Grodner
Teaching - Homer Mensch
Young Bassist Ambassador - Richard Davis
Friend of the Bass - National Public Radio

1997

Distinguished Achievement Award

Ray Brown

Special Recognition Awards

Composing - Gunther Schuller
Making / Repairing - Günter Krahmer-Pöllman
Performing - Edgar Meyer
Scholarship - Duane Rosengard
Teaching - Fred Zimmermann (posthumous)
Young Bassist Ambassador - Caroline Emery

1995

Distinguished Achievement Award

Ludwig Streicher

Special Recognition Awards

Composing - Paul Ramsier
Making / Repairing - David Horine (posthumous)
Performing - Roger Scott
Scholarship - Rodney Slatford
Teaching - David Walter
Young Bassist Ambassador - George Vance

1993

Distinguished Achievement Award

Milt Hinton

Special Recognition Awards

Composing - Jon Deak
Making / Repairing - Don Robertson
Performance - Milt Hinton
Scholarship - Klaus Trumpf
Teaching - Warren Benfield
Young Bassist Ambassador - Patricia Brine

1990

Distinguished Achievement Award

Gary Karr

Special Recognition Awards

Composing - Frank Proto
Making / Repairing - Samuel Kolstein
Performance - Gary Karr
Scholarship - Alfred Planyavsky
Teaching - Stuart Sankey