(EFE) 14-5-2009. The young Venezuelan conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, received today the "Classical BRIT Award" for Best Male Artist, winning out over conductors Charles Mackerras and Colin Davis, who was last year's winner.

Dudamel was awarded today at the Royal Albert Hall for his debut album Fiesta that has achieved notable success both in South America and Europe. With this award, London surrenders once again to Dudamel, just a month after the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela's residency at the Southbank Centre, led by the Venezuelan composer, took by storm the British capital.

At the age of 28, he is considered one of the most promising conductors of the current musical scene, and has been hailed as "the future of classical music".

Dudamel is a product of El Sistema, a social program that since 1975 aims to popularize classical music among Venezuelan youngsters, especially those from the most deprived areas.

Also today, at the Classical BRITs, the Spanish tenor José Carreras was given the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Female Award went to the trumpeter Alison Balsom, who had previously won the 2006 BRIT for Young Performer.

Howard Goodal was named Composer of the Year for Eternal Light – A Requiem, and Charles Mackerras was the recipient of the Critics' Award along with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for the Mozart Symphonies Nos. 38-41.

The Soundtrack of the Year Award went to James Newton Howard for The Dark Knight a combined work with Hans Zimmer.

Violinist Alina Ibragimova won the Young British Classical Performer Award, and the British soldiers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard won the Album of theYear Award with Spirit of the Glen: Journey, recorded during the soldiers' tour of duty in Iraq.

Young British singer, Faryl Smith, opened the event with River Of Light and Plácido Domingo and the Welsh mezzo Soprano Katherine Jenkins joined forces to perform A Mother's Wonderment. Northern Ireland's The Priests sang Ave María, and José Carreras delighted the audience with Chitarra Romana. .