The Classical BRIT Awards 2010 with NS&I Celebrates a Triumphant Night of International Success

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Honoured withthe Lifetime Achievement Award

Wales’ Only Men Aloud scoop NS&I Album of the Year from The Pope and Reality Stars Including Faryl and Rhydian

Opera Superstar Angela Gheorghiu wins second Classical BRIT after 10 Years

Soundtrack to Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road” Starring Kate Winslet named Soundtrack of the Year

Performances from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazón, The Band of the Coldstream Guards, André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra, Rhydian, Only Men Aloud, Blake, Camilla Kerslake and Howard Goodall’s Enchanted Voices

London, Thursday 13 May 2010: This evening, The BPI, the UK record companies’ trade association, celebrated a grand night of international success as the 11th year of the Classical BRIT Awards with NS&I came to a close. Hosted by Myleene Klass at the Royal Albert Hall and with a line-up of international stars, the Classical BRIT Awards lived up to its reputation as the most glittering event in the classical calendar. Leaving the audience spellbound, the final notes of the evening were provided by Lifetime Achievement in Music recipient Dame Kiri Te Kanawa who performed Mozart’s ‘Ach Ich Fuhl’s’.

The Classical BRIT Awards 2010 with NS&I will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITV1 HD on Tuesday 18 May at 10:35pm. The gala night honoured outstanding achievements from the past 12 months with the presentation of eight awards and was attend by stars of stage and screen including Jeremy Irons, Richard E. Grant and Julia McKenzie.

Continuing Welsh triumph that weaves through the history of the Classical BRIT Awards, Only Men Aloud made their dream reality, as the reality TV stars and winners of Last Choir Standing were awarded the NS&I Album of The Year. One of the most talked about categories in the 11 years of the Classical BRIT Awards, Only Men Aloud were victorious with their album ‘Band Of Brothers’ seeing off competition from Pope Benedict XVI, The Priests and other reality stars, Britain’s Got Talent’s Faryl and X Factor’s Rhydian. The NS&I Album of the Year is voted for by Classic FM listeners and readers of Classic FM magazine and is compiled from a list of the Top 10 selling classical albums of the past year.

In a category that pitted three previous winners against each other, Angela Gheorghiu was crowned the winner gaining her second Classical BRIT Award. The Romanian opera superstar Angela Gheorghiu last won the award ten years ago in 2001. She saw off tough competition from Anna Netrebko and Marin Alsop.

Thomas Newman’s soundtrack to ‘Revolutionary Road’ picked up the first Classical BRIT Award win for the American film score composer in the category Soundtrack of the Year. The score was created for the last film collaboration with Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes. A panel of critics from film and television chose the winner.

Russian Vasily Petrenko, Chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra was recognised as Male Artist of the Year for his critically acclaimed recordings with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. These include the first three releases in a Shostakovich symphony cycle, Nos. 11, 5 & 9 and No. 8 (Naxos) and the first two releases in the recording of Rachmaninov's orchestral music and piano concertos, of Symphonic Dances and Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3, with pianist Simon Trpceski (AVIE).

British Violinist Jack Liebeck triumphed over the double nominated Faryl and early music British vocal ensemble Stile Antico as he claimed the award for Young British Classical Performer.

Two other awards were presented on the night for Composer of the Year that went to Thomas Adès for his composition ‘The Tempest’ and the Critics’ Choice, decided by a panel of critics from the national media, who named Antonio Pappano with Rolando Villazón, Anja Harteros, Sonia Ganassi, René Pape and Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia as winners collectively for Verdi: Messa da Requiem.

The Royal Albert Hall also played host to stunning performances on the night from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazón, The Band of the Coldstream Guards, André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra plus unique collaborations from Rhydian and Only Men Aloud and a performance of the first ever Classical BRITs charity single by Blake, Camilla Kerslake and Howard Goodall’s Enchanted Voices with the UK’s favourite sporting anthem, ‘Nessun Dorma’.

‘Nessun Dorma – Live From The BRITs’ is available to pre-order exclusively through iTunes now, and will be downloadable from all online retailers from 00:01am Wednesday 19 May, after the TV broadcast.

The Classical BRIT Awards were established in 2000 to recognise the outstanding achievements of classical musicians and the growth of classical music sales in the UK. The awards have proved their vital importance to the UK music industry with the huge impact the event has on record sales of those artists performing, winning and nominated.