The Austrian Music Prize has announced the 2025 winners.

Among this year’s winners are Lisette Oropesa for Best Female Lead Role for her performance as Ophélie in “Hamlet” at the Salzburg Festival and Georg Nigl for Best Male Lead Role for his performance of Nekrotzar in “Le Grand Macabre” at the Vienna State Opera.

The Best Female Newcomer was awarded to Jaye Simmons in various roles at the Volksoper Vienna, while the Best Male Newcomer was awarded to Matteo Ivan Rašić for his performance as Nemorino in “L’elisir d’amore ” at the Opera Burg Gars.

Meanwhile, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Jaime Aragall were awarded the Lifetime Achievement, while Best Overall Opera Production was bestowed on “The Idiot” at the Salzburg Festival.

This year’s jury included Heinz Sichrovsky, Joachim Leitner, Miriam Damev, Boris Priebe, Stefan Musil, Jörn Florian Fuchs, Daniel Lohninger, Michael Wruss, Susanne Zobl, and Walter Weidringer.

The Austrian Music Prize was established in 2012 by Karl-Michael Ebner and honors outstanding achievements in Austria’s opera, theatre, and festival scenes.

Here is a look at all the winners: 

Best Female Lead Role: Lisette Oropesa as Ophélie in “Hamlet” at the Salzburg Festival
Best Male Lead Role: Georg Nigl as Nekrotzar in “Le Grand Macabre” at the Vienna State Opera
Best Female Newcomer: Jaye Simmons in various roles at the Volksoper Vienna
Best Male Newcomer: Matteo Ivan Rašić as Nemorino in “L’elisir d’amore – The Elixir of Love” at the Opera Burg Gars
Best Female Supporting Role: Holly Flack as Mare Molly in “Animal Farm” at the Vienna State Opera
Best Male Supporting Role: Michael Laurenz as David in “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” at the Vienna State Opera
Best Set Design: Paolo Fantin and Klaus Bruns for “Animal Farm” at the Vienna State Opera
Best Musical Direction: Petr Popelka for “Schwanda, the Bagpiper” at the Theater an der Wien
Best Overall Opera Production: The Idiot” at the Salzburg Festival
Best Overall Operetta Production: “Candide” at the Theater an der Wien
Best Overall Musical Production: “School of Rock” at the Landestheater Linz
Best Overall Youth Production: “Where the Wild Things Are” at the Theater an der Wien
Best Direction: Lydia Steier for “Candide” at the Theater an der Wien
Best World/First Performance: “Let’s Forget the World” at the Volksoper Wien
Best Off-Production: “Luziwuzi” at the Rabenhof Theater

Special Prizes:

Lifetime Achievement: Ferruccio Furlanetto/Jaime Aragall
Orchestra: Klangforum Wien
Services to Music Theater: Barbara Pálffy
Photography Rediscovery: “Simplicius Simplicissimus’s Youth” at the Tiroler Landestheater
Festival: International Baroque Days Melk Abbey
Grand Jury Prize: Cecilia Bartoli
Crossover: Tobias Moretti