The International Opera Awards were founded in 2012 in partnership with Opera Magazine, they have been running for three years and have now established themselves as the Oscars of the Opera World or the “Toscars”. The aims of the International Opera Awards are simple: • To raise the profile of opera as an art form • To recognise and reward success from those involved in opera • To generate funds to provide bursaries for aspiring talent in opera from around the world. The winners of this year’s International Opera Awards 2015 were announced at the Savoy Theatre on Sunday 26 April. The actor Richard E.Grant was the host, during the ceremony the audience had the opportunity to hear Aleksandra Kurzak in Rossini and Puccini, John Osborn in Berlioz, Justina Gringyte in Carmen’s Habanera, Carolyn Sampson in Strauss song, and Lawrence Brownlee in the Italian Singer’s aria from Der Rosenkavalier. Familiar faces presenting awards included Rosalind Plowright, Iestyn Davies and Danielle de Niese. Over the last three years the International Opera Awards has raised just under £150,000 for the Opera Awards Foundation and has given out 36 bursaries to aspiring talent within opera. .