Opera legend Plácido Domingo has been named the winner of the first Birgit Nilsson Prize, which comes with a $1 million award for outstanding achievement in classical music from the Birgit Nilsson Foundation.

The foundation was established by Nilsson, the famed opera singer who died in 2005 and who had chosen Domingo for the honor before her death. It will give out the award every two to three years.

Domingo is the general director of the Los Angeles Opera, where he will star in a new production of Handel's Tamarlano in September. He recently appeared in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Adriana Lecouvrer and is scheduled to appear there next season in the title role of Simon Bocanegra.