The winners of the OPUS Award 2025 have been announced! The prestigious award honours outstanding achievements in the event industry and celebrates visionary concepts that combine technological innovation and creative excellence. This year not only brings an internationalisation of the award, but also new categories that reflect the diversity of the industry even better.
OPUS Award 2025: realignment and outstanding prizewinners
The OPUS Award is undergoing a comprehensive reorientation in 2025: in addition to an international orientation, the name is also changing from “Opus – German Stage Award” to “Opus – International Stage Award”. For the first time, three additional categories will be introduced to recognise specific disciplines in the event industry:
- Opus Event Lighting for outstanding lighting design,
- Opus Immersive Sound for innovative sound concepts,
- Opus Camera & Image for excellent camera and image design.
The “Opus Camera & Image” award is presented in close cooperation with the German Federal Association of Television Cameramen (BVFK). Another new feature: the general public were able to take part in the selection process through a public vote.
“With the internationalisation and expansion of the categories, we are reflecting the entire spectrum of modern event and entertainment technology. The large number of high-calibre submissions and the commitment of the industry show that the Opus is an important part of Prolight + Sound.”
Mira Wölfel, Director of Prolight + Sound
The awards ceremony will take place on 10 April 2025 at the Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof during Prolight + Sound. With the OPUS and SINUS awards, the international trade fair for event and entertainment technology offers an exclusive platform for excellent achievements in the industry.
The winners 2025: innovation meets creativity
The awards were given for outstanding achievements in various areas of the event industry and underline the innovative strength and artistic quality of the industry.
Opus – International Stage Award: Digital Wagner production by flora&faunavisions
Spectacularly staged: “The Ring Cycle”. Photo: flora&faunavisions.
The Berlin-based creative agency flora&faunavisions is being honoured for its visionary reinterpretation of Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelung”. Their “The Ring Cycle” combines classic opera theatre with state-of-the-art technology: interactive costumes, motion sensors, motion tracking and AI-generated content transform the stage into an immersive fantasy world with 83 musicians, 102 voices and 200 people behind the scenes.
The production, created in collaboration with Opera Australia, premiered in Brisbane in December 2023 and sets new standards in the opera world. Directed by Chen Shi-Zheng and with digital stage sets by flora&faunavisions, the production combines classical opera with high-tech staging. Movable LED panels and interactive projections create dynamic visual stage sets that adapt to the performance in real time.
Particularly impressive: a 3D-scanned, seven-metre-high bonsai tree characterises the set design of “Die Walküre”. This innovative combination of tradition and high-tech has been celebrated by critics as “groundbreaking” and appeals to both traditional opera lovers and a tech-savvy audience.
Opus Immersive Sound: Christo Squier’s sound installation “Visitor”
“Visitor” sound installation by Christo Squier. Photo: Christo Squier
With “Visitor”, British composer Christo Squier has created a unique sound installation that converts cosmic muons into light and sound in real time. A specially developed detector captures the movements of these subatomic particles and converts their energy into acoustic and visual effects. Eight strategically placed loudspeakers create an immersive soundscape that immerses the audience in an ethereal atmosphere. This installation combines science and art in an extraordinary way, inviting visitors to reflect on the fragility of our existence and the invisible forces around us. Squier was honoured with the 2025 Opus Immersive Sound Award for this innovative work.
Opus Event Lighting: Spectacular lighting design at “Heaven & Dirt”
“Heaven & Dirt” concert by the band deca joins. Photo: deca joins
The Opus Event Lighting goes to B’in Live, a production company from Taiwan, for their stunning lighting design for the “Heaven & Dirt” concert by the band deca joins. The staging was based on the concept of the “round sky and square earth”, an ancient world view, and was complemented by a circular light structure that spanned over the audience. 600 moving, semi-transparent LED elements created a dynamic interplay of light and shadow that supported the poetic depth of the music without overpowering the natural dynamics of the band. This careful integration of light, space and sound created an intense, emotional concert experience that completely immersed the audience in the performance.
Opus Camera & Image: Sportcast sets new standards in Bundesliga broadcasting
Camera use in the Bundesliga football. Photo: Sportcast GmbH
The cameramen of Sportcast GmbH have been awarded the “Opus Camera & Image” for their outstanding work in the production of Bundesliga football. The Cologne-based subsidiary of DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga has been acting as host broadcaster since the 2006/07 season, producing the base signal for all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches, as well as for relegation matches and the Super Cup. Every year, 617 matches are broadcast in over 200 countries.
Sportcast relies on the most modern camera technologies to provide a dynamic and immersive viewing experience. Specialised cameras such as the Aerial Camera System (ACS), which is attached to the stadium roof by wire ropes and offers unique perspectives, as well as the Railcam, which moves along the edge of the pitch and enables dynamic shots, are used. In addition, the RefCam, a camera attached to the referee’s head, provides insights from the perspective of the match officials. Furthermore, numerous matches will be produced in UHD-HDR to ensure the highest visual quality.
By using these innovative camera systems, Sportcast is setting new standards in sports broadcasting and making a significant contribution to the media presence of the Bundesliga.
With the new structure and the impressive winning projects, the OPUS Award has cemented its position as one of the most prestigious honours in the event and entertainment industry.
