As 2025 drew to a close, we asked both our critics and readers to vote for the artists they felt had made the biggest impression on classical music and opera over the past year. So, who did they choose?

2025 Limelight Artists of the Year

Each year, Limelight acknowledges the Australian and international artists who inspired us most, giving performances we’ll never forget in our concert halls, opera theatres and other music venues.

After asking for nominations from our nationwide team of trusty critics and our readers, we created two shortlists, featuring 20 contenders from Australia and 20 from overseas. We then put out a call for the voting to begin. 

For the second year running, we have also included an award, presented in partnership with Giving Culture, which gives our readers the...