Sargis Davtyan, who performs simply as Sargis, took home the award on Friday after earning the votes of both the public and the jury with his song "Ziemia" ("Land") – a deeply personal track about identity and belonging.
"I'm an artist with two homelands in my heart. You can hear that in this song," he said ahead of the performance.
Born in the Armenian city of Vedi, Sargis moved to Poland at the age of two, growing up in Silesia.
He attended Polish schools, absorbed the country's culture, but also kept Armenian language and traditions alive at home.
That dual identity sits at the core of "Ziemia", which draws on Polish cultural figures, including Nobel laureate poet Wisława Szymborska, and songwriters Agnieszka Osiecka and Wojciech Młynarski, alongside Armenian influences.
The win marks a striking return to Opole.
Seven years ago, a then 19-year-old Sargis won the festival's "Debuts" competition and took home the Anna Jantar Award.
He has since studied at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice and built his craft performing alongside established Polish artists such as Edyta Górniak and Natalia Kukulska.
He said he had previously tried to enter the "Premieres" competition with more conventional songs, and was surprised to be accepted with something as bold as "Ziemia".
Sargis is also set to release his debut album in June, which he describes as a collection of songs telling his own story.
(ał)
Source: polskieradio.pl, viva.pl