OPUS KLASSIK is Germany’s most important award for classical music and is organized by the Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Klassischen Musik, a non-profit company. The selection of award recipients in currently 30 categories is carried out by an independent jury of eleven experts from the music and media industries.

Applications for OPUS KLASSIK 2025 can be submitted from January 31 to March 31, 2025. After the submission period, the jury will nominate a shortlist and select the 2025 award recipients from among the nominees.The winners will be announced in summer 2025.The OPUS KLASSIK 2025 awards will be presented during the weekend of October 10–12, 2025 in Berlin.

The jury of OPUS KLASSIK 2025: Michael Becker (Artistic Director, Tonhalle Düsseldorf), Timo Buckow (Program Director, Rheingau Musik Festival), Tobias Feilen (Head of Music and Theatre Department, ZDF), Stephanie Haase (Director Classics, Warner Music), Günter Hänssler (Hänssler Classics), Elmar Krekeler (Journalist), Raliza Nikolov (Radio Presenter), Sven Schuhmann (Vice President, Sony Classical Germany), Dr. Kerstin Schüssler-Bach (Composer Manager, Boosey & Hawkes), Kleopatra Sofroniou (General Manager Classics, Deutsche Grammophon), Julia Ströbel Bänsch (Rhapsody in School).
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The detailed submission and evaluation guidelines for OPUS KLASSIK 2025 can be found here.

The Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Klassischen Musik gGmbH (Society for the Promotion of Classical Music) is committed to developing initiatives that enhance the visibility and recognition of classical music. Its overarching goal is to firmly anchor classical music in people’s everyday lives—emotionally and meaningfully—across generations and demographics, while emphasizing its positive value as an integral part of our cultural heritage.

Nick Hellenbroich, Managing Director, sees this as a central mission: “Especially in turbulent times, classical music has the task of illuminating the many facets of human existence and making subtle nuances audible again. It nurtures the ability to truly listen, to think in a differentiated way, to show empathy, and to value and embrace diversity. This diversity is also reflected in the composition of the shareholders, who share a common goal: the promotion of classical music.”

The shareholders are Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mbH, DK Deutsche Klassik GmbH, MünchenMusik GmbH & Co. KG, Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH, TONALi gGmbH, and Warner Music Group Germany Holding GmbH.
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The company is managed by Dr. Clemens Trautmann (Deutsche Grammophon), Burkhard Glashoff (DK Deutsche Klassik GmbH), and Nick Hellenbroich (MünchenMusik GmbH & Co. KG).

An advisory board will be appointed shortly.

The non-profit organization is the successor to the Verein zur Förderung der Klassischen Musik e.V.. The association was founded in 2018 following the discontinuation of all ECHO awards in the categories of pop, classical, and jazz, with the aim of establishing a new award for classical music: the OPUS KLASSIK.