The 65 year-old, one of the world’s leading sopranos, follows in the musical footsteps of Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, previous recipients of the award.

The 11th annual Classical Brit Awards, to be hosted by Myleene Klass for the third consecutive year, take place on May 13 at the Royal Albert Hall.

New Zealand-born opera singer, who is about to launch a ”reality radio” BBC show in a nationwide hunt to find the next opera sensation, said: ”I am very honoured and delighted to receive this award and look forward to being at the Royal Albert Hall this May.”

Mark Wilkinson and Barry McCann, co-chairmen of the Classical Brit Awards Committee, said: ”It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest sopranos of our times who has befriended British audiences and helped to nurture new signing talent for so many years.”

For 40 years, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has enthralled opera audiences around the world.

In 1981 she was heard by 600 million people when she sang at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.

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