Dr Dre - Dr. Dre Wins Top Award For Tupac Hologram

The California Love hitmaker, who was murdered in 1996, was brought back to life in the form of a hologram by his longtime friend and collaborator Dre, who had Shakur's likeness beamed onto the stage for renditions of Ain't Nothin' Like A Gangsta Party and Hail Mary.

The eerie virtual appearance wowed fans and critics alike, and now Dre and experts at Digital Domain Media Group, the entertainment company behind the stunt, have been honoured for their stellar efforts.

They were awarded the prestigious Titanium and Integrated Lions Award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which is linked to the Cannes International Film Festival, and celebrates achievements in advertising and digital production.

Company executive Ed Ulbrich says, "When Dr. Dre came to us with his vision we knew that the world had never seen anything like this and that the response was going to be huge.

"Having ‘virtual 2Pac’ and the idea of virtual performers recognised with a Cannes Lion Titanium Award is beyond exciting."

The success of the Shakur hologram has earned Digital Domain bosses the chance to breathe life back into another late superstar - Elvis Presley. They have teamed up with the owners of the Presley brand, Core Media Group, to develop a series of holograms of The King to appear in film, TV and multi-platform productions.