The Opera XXI AwardsThe awards, considered the benchmark for lyric poetry in Spain, have announced the winners of their eighth edition with a clear constellation of prominent names: Gustavo Gimeno, Àlex Ollé, Jorge de León and Sabina Puértolas They stand out among the award winners of the 2024-2025 season. The decision was made after the jury meeting held in the Royal Theater of Madrid, where productions and artists from the country's main stages have been evaluated.
The awards, which range from the musical and stage direction including vocal performance, set design, lighting, costumes, video creation, and new contemporary lyrical creationThey are establishing themselves as a kind of "Goya of opera." The awards ceremony will take place on May 15th 2026 at the Great Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona, in a gala that will bring together programmers, artists and opera professionals from all over the country.
Protagonists of the edition: Gustavo Gimeno, Àlex Ollé, Jorge de León and Sabina Puértolas
In this eighth edition, one of the most prominent names is that of the orchestra conductor. Gustavo Gimeno, who rises with the Award for Musical Direction for his work leading the opera “Eugene Onegin” by Tchaikovsky at the Royal Theatre, performed in January 2025. His work in the Madrid pit, associated with the production directed by Christof Loy, has been valued by the jury as an example of competence and maturity at a key moment in his time as head of the coliseum.
In the performing arts field, the award for the Stage Direction relapse in Alex Olléwhose season has been marked by two high-impact productions: “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by Dmitri Shostakovich, which opened the season in the Gran Teatre del Liceu in September 2024, and “Il trovatore” by Verdi, presented in the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía from Valencia in December of the same year. The jury highlighted the theatrical power and contemporary approach of both proposals.
In the male vocal category, the Canary Islands tenor Jorge de León receives the Best Singer Award for a series of performances that have defined the season. Among other roles, he is recognized for his Radamés in Verdi's "Aida" at the Cervantes Theatre in Malaga and in the Oviedo Opera House, its Calaf in “Turandot” by Puccini at the Maestranza Theatre in Seville and Verdi's Othello en ABAO Bilbao Opera, where he has once again demonstrated his proficiency in the great Italian repertoire.
For her part, the Aragonese soprano Sabina Puértolas it is done with Award for Best Singer (female category)Thanks to a particularly intense season in Spain, the jury praised his performance. Anna Bolena by Donizetti in the Oviedo Opera House, its “Marina” by Emilio Arrieta at the Zarzuela Theater from Madrid and, especially, his interpretation of Violetta in Verdi's "La traviata" at the Royal Theatre, where he starred in a resounding “jump-in” on July 20, 2025.
Recognition of the new generation and international projection
The focus on emerging voices materializes in the Award for Best Young Singer, which falls on the low Manuel FuentesThis recognition is based on their participation in the double program of “L'heure espagnole” by Maurice Ravel and “Gianni Schicchi” by Puccini, presented at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia in April and May of 2025, where her acting and vocal work has attracted the attention of critics and the public.
On an international level, the category of Best Foreign Artist distinguishes the soprano Nadine Sierra for their intense activity on Spanish stages throughout the 2024-2025 season. The jury has taken into account their Violetta in “La traviata” both in the Gran Teatre del Liceu (February 2025) as in the Royal Theatre (performances in June and July), as well as her interpretation of Amina in “La Sonnambula” by Bellini and his participation as Maria in Bernstein's symphonic version of "West Side Story", both also at the Liceu in Barcelona.
With this award, Opera XXI underlines the importance of the international collaborations in the Spanish operatic scene, where world-class artists are regularly included in the programs of theaters such as the Liceu, the Real or the main stages of Valencia, Oviedo, Seville or Bilbao.
Awards for stage creation and technical work
The eighth edition of the Opera XXI Awards It also underscores the importance of the artistic and technical teams that support each production. The recognition of Better Scene Design It's for the set designer Alfons Flores, who has written key works this season in titles such as “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” at the Liceu, “Don Pasquale” by Donizetti en ABAO Bilbao Opera y “Il trovatore” at the Palau de les Arts, combining visual dramaturgy and high-impact plastic resources.
In terms of lighting, the Award for Best Lighting Design distinguishes Philip Ramos, whose firm is behind productions such as the diptych “La vida breve” by Manuel de Falla and “Tejas Verdes” by Jesús Torres at the Royal Theatre (February 2025) and “Iphigénie en Tauride” by Gluck at the Teatro de la Maestranza from Seville, also in 2025. The jury highlighted its ability to create precise and coherent dramatic atmospheres with the stage proposal.
The costume section acknowledges the work of Ana Garay, awarded with the Award for Best Costume Design for her work as a costume designer in the production of “Il trittico” by Puccini Presented by ABAO Bilbao Opera in November 2024. Their proposal has been praised for its historical accuracy and attention to detail in character portrayals.
In turn, the Award for Best Video Creation Proposal relapse in Pedro Chamizo, responsible for the audiovisual elements of “Marina” by Emilio Arrieta at the Zarzuela Theater (October 2024) and of “Il trittico” by Puccini at ABAO (November-December 2024). The use of projected images as an organic part of the dramaturgy was one of the aspects that influenced the jury's decision.
New creation, production and Spanish lyrical heritage
Commitment to new contemporary lyrical creation This is reflected in the award to “Benjamin a Portbou” by Antoni Ros-Marbà, which obtains the Award for Best Proposal of New Contemporary Lyric CreationThis opera, presented at the Gran Teatre del Liceu In July 2025, it marks the veteran maestro's debut as an opera composer and has sparked interest both for its subject matter and its musical language.
In the field of production, the Award for Best New Production distinguishes “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, released in the Royal Theatre from Madrid in April and May 2025. The staging and set design of Dmitri Tcherniakov It has been one of the season's biggest draws, rescuing a less common title from the repertoire with a visually spectacular production.
The look at tradition is completed with the Spanish Lyric Heritage Award, which highlights the recovery of “The Gypsy for Love” by Manuel GarcíaThis work was rescued by the Malaga Opera Studio and opened the Lyric Season in September 2024 Cervantes Theatre in Malaga, contributing to the dissemination of a Spanish repertoire that is rarely performed on major stages.
Federica and the spread of lyric poetry among young audiences
The chapter dedicated to the dissemination of lyric poetry finds its protagonist in the Resident Children's Company of the Oviedo Opera, La Federica, who receives the Award for the Best Initiative or Project for the Dissemination of Lyric PoetryThis group, made up of girls and boys of approximately 6 to 15 years and directed by Maite García Heres, combines rigorous artistic training with the staging of adaptations of classic operas designed for young performers.
The project is not limited to the stage of Campoamor Theatre in Oviedobut also extends to itinerant activities linked to initiatives such as “Opera in the Territory”bringing opera to different towns in Asturias and even to parts of Cantabria. La Federica has presented versions for all audiences of titles such as “Gianni Schicchi”, “The Barber of Seville”, “The Magic Flute” or “Carmen”, introducing new generations to the language of opera, both from singing and from the technical trades of the theater.
Jury, gala and role of the Opera XXI Association
El jury This eighth edition has been made up of a large group of critics and journalists specializing in music and operawith activity in various media outlets and regions. Among the names that have taken part in the deliberations are, among others, Gonzalo Alonso, Maricel Chavarría Espuny, José Luis Jiménez, Alejandro Martínez Rodríguez, Pablo Meléndez-Haddad, Javier Pérez Senz, Pablo L. Rodríguez, Justo Romero, Victoria Stapells, Fernando Sans Rivière y Ana Vega ToscanoThe president of Opera XXI, Isamay Benavente, the awards coordinator Esperanza Soroa y Santi Pons-Quintana, from Amics de s'Òpera de Maó, who acted as secretary.
The awards cover the period between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025, with a total of 14 categories that review the activity of theaters, festivals, and established opera seasons throughout the country. delivery gala, planned for the May 15th 2026 in the main hall of Gran Teatre del LiceuIt is presented as an unmissable event for the "lyric family": singers, directors, artistic teams, managers, technicians and fans.
In the immediate future, the names of the three honorary awards which will be awarded in March by the Assembly of members of the Opera XXI Association: the award for the Career path, the award for the Cultural Institution and the recognition of the Best Patronage InitiativeIn addition, the following will be announced: Award for Best New Latin American Production, In collaboration with Latin American Opera (OLA), a network that brings together more than fifty entities from the American continent.
The own Opera XXI Association brings together 25 permanent opera houses, seasons and festivals which concentrate most of the opera programming in Spain, from Madrid and Barcelona to cities such as Oviedo, Bilbao, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Palma, Mahon, and Tenerife. It also has two particularly important honorary members: the Colon Theater of Buenos Aires and the National Theater of São Carlos in Lisbon, which reinforces the international vocation of the network.
With this track record, the Opera XXI Awards They once again paint a fairly complete picture of operatic activity in Spain, where great repertoire titles coexist with new creations, high-level productions with educational projects, and a mix of national and guest talent that keeps Spanish stages in a prominent place on the European operatic map, reflecting the current trends and cultural impact.
