The VIII Antonio Marin Montero Guitar Building Competition in Granada

The VIII edition of the Antonio Marin Montero Guitar Building Competition in Granada, Spain, took place from July 30 to August 1, 2025, continuing to uphold its reputation as one of the most prestigious lutherie competitions in the world. As always, we extend our deepest thanks to Vicente Coves and the European Guitar Foundation for organizing this remarkable event with such care and professionalism.

This year, GSI President David Collett once again served as a judge for both the classical and flamenco categories, further strengthening GSI’s longstanding connection to this unique celebration of guitar craftsmanship. The rest of the jury included luthier José Marín Plazuelo, luthier Edmund Blöchinger, luthier and world-renowed repairman Yuris Zeltins, luthier Javier Mengual (from Alhambra Guitars), luthier José González López, and luthier Manuel Caceres. Also on the jury were the guitarists who provided the performances on the instruments - María Esther Guzmán on classical and Paco Serrano on flamenco. Thanks also to Alberto Cuéllar of Jitamen was the secretary for the event.

After thorough evaluation of many instruments, the jury selected five prize-winning guitars across both divisions. The 2025 laureates represent an exciting range of talent from across Europe and beyond — and we’re looking forward to sharing some of their instruments with you soon.

Prize Winners

Classical Guitar Category:

• 1st Prize – Manuel Arango (Switzerland)

• 2nd Prize – Antonio Zwirn (Croatia)

• 3rd Prize – Henrik Ballowitz (Denmark)

Flamenco Guitar Category:

• 1st Prize – Juan Fregenal (Spain)

• 2nd Prize – Manuel Arango (Switzerland)

• No 3rd prize was awarded in this category.

Congratulations to all the participants and winners for their inspiring work. 

Take a look at some photos from this year’s event!