Mezzo-soprano Ellen Pearson has been awarded first place in the 2024 Hurn Court Opera Singer of the Year Competition.

In addition to the top honor, Pearson also received the Nigel Beale Grange Festival First Prize and the Anthony Lowrey Audience Prize. Baritone Stephen Whitford secured second place and was honored with the Wendy Blamire Award for his exceptional dedication to the linguistic and artistic interpretation of texts in at least two European languages beyond English. Mezzo-soprano Lily Mo Browne earned the Sarah Harrison Prize, while bass-baritone Jack Sandison was awarded the Rosalind Armstrong Prize.

The competition saw 84 contestants in total, with 10 advancing to the semi-finals and four making it to the final round. Each finalist performed a 20-minute program.

The semi-finals and finals were judged by Michael Chance CBE, Rosalind Plowright OBE, and James Black. The competition’s accompanists were Hamish Brown and Chad Vindin.

Lynton Atkinson, Artistic Director of Hurn Court Opera, commented in a press release, "The quality of entries this year was exceptionally high, making it difficult to select only 10 semi-finalists. The first-round judges, Joy Robinson and Philip Curran, focused on artistry and the suitability of repertoire for the individual voices, as well as the participants' age."

Launched in 2018, the Hurn Court Opera Singer of the Year Competition offers a significant platform for emerging vocal talent. Prize winners are given the opportunity to perform in recitals and operatic productions, and all participants are considered for future engagements. For the third consecutive year, the competition was presented in partnership with The Grange Festival.