John wins Rising Star

John captured the coveted title and won $250,000. In a hardfought Christmas-themed battle against second place winner, Teriann Baker, John gained the final approval from both the judges as well as the voting at home audience. Baker earned $150,000, however, both contestants received trophies, handsets from corporate partner Huawei, a year free service on Digicel Play and mobile services.

Speaking of her performance John stated: “Before every performance I silently battled anxiety, but when my name was announced as the winner of the 2016 Digicel Rising Stars, I felt like I was in the eye of a hurricane.

“I am grateful to everyone in the Digicel Rising Star team who truly made my experience unforgettable and helped me grow into a calm confident performer.

“I plan to celebrate by keeping the ball rolling. My fans can expect good quality music from me with the same touch of versatility I exhibited in the competition,” John said in a media release.

She thanked her supporters both past and present “who never cease to encourage me.” The finals of the competition opened with a stellar performance from the 2015 Rising Star, Angela Didier.

Also performing was Digicel Staff Star winner, Allana Salandy who stayed in Christmas theme with her rendition of “Oh Holy Night