The "Wilhelmshavener Knurrhahn" - the City of Wilhelmshaven's cabaret prize - was first awarded in 1986. The Knurrhahn is awarded to artists from the cabaret sector who have performed at the Pumpwerk. Previous winners have come from Australia, Belgium, the former GDR, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany.
The "Wilhelmshavener Knurrhahn" is one of the most prestigious and important cabaret prizes in the German-speaking world. It is endowed with 2,500 euros and a weighty bronze sculpture of the "Knurrhahn", which was designed by the Wilhelmshaven artist Dr. Hartmut Wiesner.

With its characteristic of spending a large part of its life at the bottom of the sea, the award's namesake, the gurnard, symbolizes a characteristic of small-scale art, namely "getting to the bottom of things in life". Moreover, its appearance is more bristly than pleasing. What sets it apart, despite its prickly appearance, is its delicate taste, which only comes into its own when it is skillfully prepared. It is the same with cabaret: only if the production is skillful, original and full of ideas is it a pleasure for the audience.