A versatile and highly stereoselective synthetic route to functionalized bi- and tricyclic lactams (up to > 20:1 dr and 99% ee) in one pot from simple starting materials (allylic alcohols, enals, diamines and amino alcohols) using cascade transformations promoted by chiral amine/BrOnsted or metal/chiral amine/BrOnsted relay catalysis is disclosed. Here molecular oxygen is employed as the terminal oxidant for the latter relay catalysis approach.