Best jazz bass player of the year (German Jazzpoll)
1964
First recording contract (Polydor)
1965
first LP ‘Non Stop Dancing “65” the name JAMES LAST is born!
1968
first tour
First public TV appearance in the ZDF ‘Starparade’ on 14 March.
1969
German Record Award (“Deutscher Schallplattenpreis”) from “Fono Forum” for his new arrangement of “The Threepenny Opera” by Bertholt Brecht
1969 - 1971
Favourite orchestra of the year (German Musikpoll - forerunner of the “Echo”)
1969
“Goldene Europa” from Europawelle Saar
1971
“Goldenes Grammophon”, Munich
“Silbermöwe” from Hamburger Abendblatt
“RPM Gold Leaf Awards” (Canada) for “Super Non Stop Dancing” and for “James Does His Thing”
“Golden Award”, Record World, for “Top German Orchestra”
1971
“Country Music Award” (ASCAO) for “When The Snow Is On The Roses”
“ASCAP Award” (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) for Elvis Presley´s recording of “Fool”
1974
“Ehrenlöwe” TV award from Radio Luxemburg
1975
“Goldene Westfalenhalle”
“Goldener Notenschlüssel” of the German music publisher Sikorski
1976
“Star Of The Year” trophy from English trade publications Music Week and Billboard London
1977
“Robert Stolz-Preis” from the Robert Stolz Foundation
1978
“THE ORDER OF MERIT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY” AWARDED BY FEDERAL PRESIDENT WALTER SCHEEL
1979
“Die goldene Kamera” from magazine HörZu
1980
Cashbox Award for “The Seduction” as the best instrumental production of the year Special award for 52 records on the British chart
1991
„Goldene Stimmgabel“ from ZDF
1994
„Goldene Eins“
“Echo” in the category “Lifetime Award”
1998
„GOLDENE EUROPA“
2000
“Platin Stimmgabel” from ZDF
2009
“Senatsmedaille für Kunst und Wissenschaft” (Senate Medal for Art and Science)” from the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (presented on 15 April)
Appointed Honorary Senator by the University of the Arts / Bremen (29 May)
“Lifetime Award” from Universal for 80 million sound recordings sold
2012
GEMA’s 2012 German Music Author Award in recognition of his life’s work
2013
Golden Order of Merit for services rendered to the State of Vienna (8 April)
2014
Hamburg citizen of the year 2014” in the category „lifetime award” by Radio Hamburg 1 (dec 8th)