“The Russians have got it!” announced the Sydney International Piano Competition’s Artistic Director Piers Lane as he got down to the final two competitors Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev and Andrey Gugnin.

29-year-old Andrey Gugnin was announced as the winner of the First Prize, a $50,000 award that also includes a swathe of performance, promotion and recording opportunities.

“The 2016 Competition has proved a vintage year in many ways and in Andrey Gugnin we have found a glorious ambassador and star pianist,” said Lane, “I want to congratulate all six finalists and prize winners for the exceptional and inspired performances they have given to Australian and global internet audiences.”

Gugnin also took out the Best Preliminaries Round 1 Recital, Best Violin and Piano Sonata, Best 19th or 20th Century Concerto, and Best Overall Concerto awards, augmenting his winnings by another $14,000.

Fellow Russian, Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev took out second place as well as the award for Best Preliminary Round 2 Recital. Chinese pianist Moye Chen took third place and American Kenneth Broberg received Fourth. Kazakh pianist Oxana Shevchenko – like the first and second prize winners a graduate of the Moscow State Conservatory – took Fifth Prize as well as the award for Best Piano Quintet. Chinese...