Winners revealed of 2015 WhatsOnStage Opera Poll

The Opera Poll is distinct from its big brother, the WhatsOnStage Awards (winners of which are revealed on Sunday 15 February), in that the shortlist is chosen by our reviews team from the best examples of UK opera that we see. In 2014 we considered more than 100 eligible events. This list is then put to the public vote and polling runs independently alongside the Awards.

And it's been quite a year.

The Best New Opera Production has been won by an unfashionable Janáček opera staged at an independent summer festival; the Best Revival resulted in a Benjamin Britten one-two (winner and runner-up); a countertenor beat three tenors and a soprano in the Outstanding Achievement vote and a pair of exciting young British singers came top of the poll to find the year's Breakthrough Artist.

Most extraordinary of all, English National Opera cocked a snook at its detractors by either winning or sharing the spoils in no fewer than four of the five categories.

Put all that in an opera and no one would believe it.

THE RESULTS

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION

Winner: THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN (Garsington Opera/Daniel Slater)

Runner-up: Der Rosenkavalier (Glyndebourne/Richard Jones)

Also shortlisted: La finta giardiniera (Glyndebourne/Frederic Wake-Walker); Die Frau ohne Schatten (Royal Opera/Claus Guth); Idomeneo (Royal Opera/Martin Kušej)

BEST REVIVAL

Winner: PETER GRIMES (ENO/David Alden)

Runner-up: The Turn of the Screw (Glyndebourne Tour/Jonathan Kent)

Also shortlisted: Anna Nicole (Royal Opera/Richard Jones); Le nozze di Figaro (Royal Opera/David McVicar); Rinaldo (Glyndebourne/Robert Carsen)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN OPERATIC ROLE

Winner: IESTYN DAVIES (Rinaldo/Glyndebourne Rodelinda/ENO)

Runner-up: Barry Banks (William Tell/WNO)

Also shortlisted: Karita Mattila (Ariadne auf Naxos/Royal Opera); Stuart Skelton (Peter Grimes/ENO); Michael Spyres (Benvenuto Cellini/ENO Les Martyrs/Opera Rara)

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST

Winner: ANTHONY GREGORY (singer, Thebans/ENO The Turn of the Screw/Glyndebourne Tour)

Runner-up: Ross Ramgobin (singer, Owen Wingrave/Aldeburgh & Edinburgh Festivals)

Also shortlisted: Luke Bedford (composer, Through His Teeth/Royal Opera); Joana Carneiro (conductor, The Gospel According to the Other Mary/WNO); Rosa Feola (singer, La finta giardiniera/Glyndebourne Tour)

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE UK OPERATIC SCENE/EVENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA, for sustained commitment to new opera

Runner-up: Opera Holland Park, for its ‘Inspire’ programme

Also shortlisted: Opera North for the completion of a majestic Ring cycle; The Royal Opera and Shakespeare’s Globe for brilliantly recreating the Baroque with L’Ormindo; WNO and David Pountney for bold and imaginative programming