The 2025 International Opera Awards were presented on 13 November at the Greek National Opera’s Stavros Niarchos Hall in Athens, with major honours going to Agnes Baltsa, Asmik Grigorian, Nicholas Brownlee, and MusikTheater an der Wien. The ceremony was streamed live on OperaVision.
Agnes Baltsa received the Lifetime Achievement Award, earning one of the evening’s longest ovations. In the performance categories, Asmik Grigorian was named Female Singer of the Year, while Nicholas Brownlee won Male Singer, performing Scarpia’s “Te Deum” during the gala.
MusikTheater an der Wien was awarded Opera Company of the Year and will host the 2026 ceremony. The Janáček Brno Festival was named Festival of the Year, and the New Production Award went to The Excursions of Mr Brouček, a collaboration between National Theatre Brno, Staatsoper Berlin, and Teatro Real under Robert Carsen.
Among institutional categories, Teatro Real Madrid received the Sustainability Award, while The Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors was recognised for Equal Opportunities & Impact. In the recording categories, the awards went to Lully’s Atys (Complete Opera) and Ann Hallenberg & The Mozartists’ Gluck Arias (Solo Recital).
Rising Star awards were shared by mezzo-soprano Adèle Charvet and countertenor Hugh Cutting.
The ceremony was presented by Petroc Trelawny and featured performances by the Greek National Opera’s Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet, conducted by Konstantinos Terzakis.
2025 winners
Conductor
Alain Altinoglu
Designer
Paolo Fantin
Director
Claus Guth
Equal Opportunities & Impact
The Dallas Opera: Hart Institute for Women Conductors
Female Singer
Asmik Grigorian
Male Singer
Nicholas Brownlee
Festival
Janáček Brno Festival
Musical
Sunday in the Park with George (Glimmerglass Festival)
New Production
The Excursions of Mr Brouček (National Theatre Brno / Staatsoper Berlin / Teatro Real), dir. Robert Carsen
Opera Company
MusikTheater an der Wien
Recording – Complete Opera
Lully: Atys (Château de Versailles Spectacles)
Recording – Solo Recital
Ann Hallenberg & The Mozartists: Gluck Arias (Signum)
Rediscovered Work
Galuppi: L’uomo femina (Opéra de Dijon)
Rising Star
Adèle Charvet (mezzo-soprano)
Hugh Cutting (countertenor)
Lifetime Achievement
Agnes Baltsa
Sustainability
Teatro Real, Madrid
World Premiere
Turnage/Hall: Festen (The Royal Opera)
Readers’ Award
Marina Rebeka
Context
Founded in 2012, the Opera Awards describe themselves as an international snapshot of operatic activity. The awards were created by Harry Hyman in partnership with Opera Magazine, whose Editor-in-Chief, John Allison, chairs the jury. The 2025 shortlist was drawn from more than 14,000 public nominations.
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