The Grand Prix and absolute winner of the Unicorn Awards 2026 was the Paralympic Opening Ceremony Milano Cortina 2026, created by Filmmaster, which stood out as the competition’s ultimate unicorn – a truly groundbreaking production that pushed the boundaries of what a ceremony could be.
The grand opening also won an award for taking 3rd place in the B2C category and for the Best Cultural/Music Event.
Staged inside Verona’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Arena on 6 March 2026, Life in Motion combined contemporary art, dance, music and technology to celebrate movement, connection and human potential. Artists including Emilio Isgrò, Jago and Marina Apollonio joined choreographers and musicians in a production where performers with and without disabilities shared the same stage.
One of the production’s most remarkable achievements was making the 2,000-year-old Arena itself part of the show. Filmmaster transformed its underground spaces into an active backstage world and engineered a bespoke lift connecting the ancient galleries with the stage, allowing performers and scenic elements to emerge from beneath the historic structure. Immersive LED environments and Emiliano Pellisari’s patented NoGravity technique added further layers of visual storytelling.
Its legacy lies in showing how heritage, innovation and inclusion can reinforce one another. By bringing together artists, athletes and performers, the ceremony created a powerful creative model for future Paralympic events – one centred on accessibility, artistic excellence and human connection.
