Aussie tenor Skelton wins top opera award

Aussie Stuart Skelton - a big, burly and blonde heroic tenor - has taken out the male singer of the year gong at London's International Opera Awards.

Aussie Stuart Skelton has won the male singer of the year award at the International Opera Awards. (AAP)

Australian heroic tenor Stuart Skelton has been named male singer of the year at the second International Opera Awards in London.

The 45-year-old singer from Sydney gave a surprise performance at the awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel.

Skelton was given the top gong for his performance in Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes at the English National Opera (ENO).

The Australian beat rivals from Germany, France, Italy, the United States and Sweden.

Skelton considers the ENO his home company. His house debut was as Laca in the 2006 production of Jenufa.

"I was born in Australia, I live in the United States, but ENO is the company that has always been there," the tenor said.

"It takes risks, and when you take big risks sometimes they don't pay off, but when they do, they pay off in a way other people cant re-produce."

Skelton said opera was an art form "worth shouting and screaming for".

The female singer of the year award went to German soprano Diana Damrau.