Musical America Announces 2025 Artist of the Year Awards

The 64th annual awards has named conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan as the coveted Artist of the Year

Musical America and publisher Stephanie Challener have today announced its 64th annual Artist of the Year Awards. Conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan has been named Artist of the Year, Jake Heggie received Composer of the Year, pianist Víkingur Ólafsson was given Instrumentalist of the Year, James Robinson was awarded Director of the Year, and Angel Blue is the Vocalist of the Year.

Canadian musician Barbara Hannigan began her career as a soprano, and turned to conducting, with her debut at age 40 at the Chatelet in Paris,

She currently serves as the Principal Guest Conductor of Göteborgs Symfoniker, the Principal Guest Conductor of Orchester Philharmonique de Radio France, the Associate Artist of the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music London

Starting in the 2024-25 season, Hannigan will step into the role of Principal Guest Conductor of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, and starting in August 2026, she will become the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.

The Grammy Award-winning award has given the world premiere performances of nearly 100 new creations. Her awards and honors include the Order of Canada (2016), Officier des Arts et des Lettres in France (2022), Gramophone Magazine's 2022 Artist of the Year, Germany's Faust Award (2015), Sweden's Rolf Schock Prize for Musical Arts (2018 ) and the 2021 Stena Foundation's Cultural Scholarship, among others.

For more information on each honoree, click here.