The Magic Circle tends to be hyper-secretive about most of its goings-on, but the London club was kind enough to share some exciting news about one of its talented members. Matthew Le Mottée was recently recognized as The Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year, making him the first to receive the honor for two years in a row.

Out of the record number of entries for the 2018 competition, eight magicians were selected to perform live at the club’s headquarters. Each eight-minute routine was evaluated for both skill and originality, and the 28-year-old Le Mottée took the crown once more.

Even though he’d impressed the judges last year, he told the Eastern Daily Press that he was even more nervous for the second go. “There was definitely a lot more pressure this year,” he said. “Even though nobody was given any background on the magicians, so there was no bias, I knew all the members who had seen my performance last year or were watching the live stream were expecting something just as good if not better.”

Seems that he exceeded those expectations. Congratulations, Matthew!