News

Siana Wins Open Mic 2012

• 22nd Jan 2013

A sixteen year-old music student from Berkshire has been named as the winner of the national Open Mic UK competition at The O2 in London!

Siana was crowned champion in front of a capacity crowd at IndigO2 on Saturday night taking home a recording and development deal. Her own original song Stronger Than This won over the judges making her the winner of the 16 and Under category and the overall winner.

The teenage GCSE student admits it still hasn’t sunk in; ‘It doesn’t feel like it’s really happened, I’m still getting my head around it! I couldn’t believe it when they announced my name as I had tonsillitis during the few days leading up to the final. I didn’t think I had any chance of winning, I was so surprised!’

Siana has now won a comprehensive consultation package including social marketing, image and brand with Future Music, an Initial extensive winner’s publicity package and an amazing £5,000 to spend on the development of her music. Siana has also won a music app for iPhone and Android courtesy of The App Experience!

The judging panel for the Grand Final included names such as Radio 1’s Annie Nightingale and Ras Kwame, Head of BGM Michael King, Head of Future Music Chris Grayston, Kiss FM presenter Charlie Hedges, Director of The Agency Group Geoff Meall, James Meadows from Universal, scout for Sony ATV and Atlantic Brian Mahoney and Head of A& R at Future Music Ben Price. Also picked by them as winners were Shaz Rahman from South East London, who won the 17-22 category, and Ricky and the Hats from Kent who took home the 23’s and over title.

Siana studies GCSE Music, Textiles and Art at Yateley Comprehensive, a school that has a specialist status in performing arts and have supported Siana massively throughout the competition. But her life took a big twist when she was announced winner of the prestigious Open Mic UK at The O2. Other previous winners include Birdy who enjoyed chart success at the age of just 15, and Hatty Keane who has gone on to support the likes of Ed Sheeran, Wretch 32 and Tinchy Stryder since her success.

This year’s winner Siana, who dazzled the audience in a spectacular leotard says the Open Mic UK competition has helped her gain self-belief; ‘I would definitely recommend the competition to anyone who’s thinking of entering it. The whole experience was amazing! I entered it the year Hatty Keane won and back then I would never have expected to be winning it two years later. So I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported me throughout the whole competition!’

For more information on Siana follow her on Twitter @sianaxs – or check out her music on her YouTube channel sianaxsx.

More than 9,000 acts signed up to Open Mic UK this year and Siana has proved herself to be best of the lot. For your chance to play at The O2 and win next year’s competition enter now at link.

Future Music is also about to launch the new and exciting TeenStar Competition, and it’s not too late to enter and audition in the coming weeks. To find out more and enter go to link now.