Madrid - (AFP) - Two Ukrainian companies shared an award at the "International Opera Awards" ceremony that was held Monday in Madrid, and they received this reward for their "courage and resilience" in the face of the Ukrainian war.

Lviv Opera (West) and Odessa Opera (South) jointly won the "Best Company Specializing in Opera" award during a party held at the Teatro Real in Madrid. This is the first time that two companies have shared this award.

The director of "Oprah" magazine and the chairman of the jury, John Allison, said in a statement he made during the ceremony that the two companies received the award for their "courage, steadfastness, and continued work despite the risks and damages resulting from the war" that began in February with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He added that the two companies, although they were forced to close down at the beginning of the war, finally resumed work and produced performances that are considered "references," noting that their representatives came to Madrid to receive the award.

"I am glad that we learned about the work of the two Ukrainian companies, who courageously continue to deliver excellent work under impossible conditions," he added.

In 2013, British businessmen Harry Hyman and John Alison established the World Opera Awards, which are considered to be "Oscars" in the field of opera.