Ange’s got talent!

Open Mic UK is a genre bending competition, searching for the crème de la crème in UK talent.

Contestants range from vocalists and singer/songwriters to rappers and cover three age groups, 16 and under, 17-22 and 23 and over.

The prize at stake, an opportunity to perform at the grand final in the O2 in London and the chance to pick up a record deal.

Previous winner, Hatty Keane, has signed to major record label BGM music and has performed with hit artists such as, Ed Sheeran, Tinchy Stryder and Roll Deep.

Indie sensation Birdy, another former winner, has recently signed to major label. - Ange hopes to join such illustrious company and earn a spot in the grand final.

Chris Grayston, the coordinator for Open Mic UK, said: “We are looking to find an act that has something unique to offer, another Birdy that can go all the way, with both the ability to deliver a strong live performance but also potential to become a professional recording artist. There is so much talent out there I’m sure we can find that star again!”

The only thing standing between Ange and a spot in the final, a head to head battle with the best talent in the local area where she will be performing in front of a hundreds of audience members and a professional judging panel.

The former Ballymena Academy student is certainly up to the challenge, having put in the hard hours performing in a host of gigs and open mic nights across Sunderland - her base since 2006. It was moving there that sparked Ange’s love affair with performing.

At the end of 2011 everyone in the region began to stand up and take notice with her rousing performance at a charity event for Macmillan nurses. She wowed local journalists with her ‘gutsy, soulful’ version of Maroon 5’s Moves Like Jagger and her acoustic interpretation of Nicki Minaj’s summer anthem Superbass. The Sunderland Echo in particular paid glowing tributes, commenting “Superbass is a tricky track to make your own, but Ange did it with ease”.

Ange has been blazing a trail in 2012, qualifying for the final stages of Sunderland’s Stripped Back 2012 competition and, in September, was selected out of hundreds of hopefuls to advance to the regional finals of the nationwide contest.

Along with a fine repertoire of covers, the 24-year-old, has penned some of her own tracks, her orginial ‘Hey You’ impressed the judges and was enough to see her advance to the live regional final on October 27 where she will get a shot at a place in the grand final.

The latter stages of the competiton with provide Ange with the chance to impress industry big wigs, regional and national journalists and talent spotters.

Ange may be a relative newcomer but hopes her funky covers, distinctive voice and emotive material will hit the right note at Open Mic UK.