The Minimoog Book Receives the American Musical Instrument Society 2026 Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize

Historic first for the Bessaraboff Prize honors a book on a single electronic instrument, underscoring the Minimoog’s foundational role and the synthesizer’s status as a defining force in modern music

Copenhagen, March 19 , 2026 – Bjooks Publishing is proud to announce that The Minimoog Book: The Synthesizer That Changed Music Forever by JoE Silva has been awarded the 2026 Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize by the Bessaraboff Committee of the American Musical Instrument Society (AMIS).

The Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize is awarded annually by the American Musical Instrument Society for the most distinguished book-length publication in English on the subject of musical instruments. In its official commendation, the Bessaraboff Committee wrote:

“Silva’s volume succeeds remarkably as both an accessible, visually compelling book and a substantive scholarly study of the Minimoog’s origins and its first fifty years. The Minimoog Book is rich with high-quality archival images, technical illustrations, and documentation of historical models and prototypes. These materials are paired with a well-researched and engaging narrative that provides a material and technological history of unusual depth for an instrument of the recent past.

Silva’s prose, with first-hand accounts from artists, engineers, and composers, brings the story of the Minimoog vividly to life. The depth of its documentation and the breadth of its perspectives ensure that this book will resonate equally with scholars, musicians, instrument makers, and the broader public.”

Released in 2024 by Bjooks Publishing, The Minimoog Book offers an unprecedented look at the instrument that transformed modern music. Through extensive research, rare archival materials, and interviews with the artists and engineers who helped shape its legacy, the book traces the Minimoog’s evolution from its early development in the late 1960s to its enduring influence across genres, including rock, electronic, jazz, hip-hop, and film scoring.

JoE Silva, and the team at Bjooks Publishing, has brought together historical scholarship, technical insight, and compelling storytelling to document the cultural and technological significance of one of the most influential instruments ever created.

“We are deeply honored that The Minimoog Book, and JoE Silva, has been recognized with the Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize,” said Kim Bjørn, founder of Bjooks Publishing. “JoE’s dedication to documenting the Minimoog’s history reflects the passion of the global synthesizer community and the enduring importance of Bob Moog’s vision. We’re proud to be part of this community, and help it get the recognition it deserves in modern music culture and historical context.”

"The Bob Moog Foundation is thrilled that the American Musical Instrument Society has awarded the Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize to The Minimoog Book," noted Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation. "The Minimoog, often cited as the most iconic synthesizer ever created, helped revolutionize the sonic landscape in the early 1970s, putting synthesis at gigging musicians' fingertips for the first time. Congratulations to author JoE Silva and publisher Bjooks on this tremendous honor, which helps highlight the Minimoog's place not only in synthesizer history, but in musical history."

Since its release, The Minimoog Book has been widely praised for its depth of research, striking visual presentation, and the breadth of voices it brings together to tell the story of a revolutionary instrument that helped define modern sound.

The 2026 Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize further recognizes the book’s importance as both a scholarly resource and a cultural document, cementing its place among the most significant publications ever written about electronic musical instruments.

ABOUT BJOOKS:

Bjooks Publishing is a boutique Danish publishing company dedicated to creating high-quality books about music technology, instruments, and creativity, started by author, designer, and musician Kim Bjørn. Known for titles such as PATCH & TWEAK, PUSH TURN MOVE, and SYNTH GEMS 1, Bjooks has become a beloved resource for musicians, producers, and gear enthusiasts worldwide.