Danielle de Niese Wins Olivier Award
Australian-American super-soprano Danielle de Niese has been honoured with the prestigious 2026 Olivier Award for her Outstanding Contribution to Opera.
The award acknowledges de Niese’s extraordinary global career on the world’s most prestigious opera and concert stages. She has also created an extensive collection of music and conversation on disc and video, and is a noted philanthropist.
Held at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 12 April, the awards are named after the celebrated actor Sir Laurence Olivier and mark their 50th anniversary this year. Famous past winners in this category include Australian tenor Stuart Skelton, Sir Antonio Pappano, Renée Fleming and Joyce DiDonato and Allan Clayton.
The Australia-born American raised singer now resides in England but returns to Australia regularly, most recently in 2025 in recital and the role of Carmen and in 2017 in The Merry Widow for Opera Australia. In 2012 she appeared with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Her most recent role debuts was as Jenny in Weill’s The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny with the English National Opera.
