The Lexus Song Quest 2018 winner has just been announced.
Adjudicator Lisa Gasteen made the announcement after the Grand Final at the Auckland Town Hall tonight in a live broadcast on RNZ Concert.
28 year old bass baritone Joel Amosa of Auckland has been awarded the top prize of $20,000 plus a Study Scholarship of $27,000 with an additional $3000 of international travel.
24 year old soprano Eliza Boom from Whangarei was named runner-up and takes home prize money of $10,000 from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation and a Study Scholarship also worth $10,000.
25 year old tenor Filipe Manu from Auckland now studying in London was awarded the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation scholarship of $15,000 for Most Promising Young Singer.
Dame Kiri was on hand to present her Foundation's Scholarship to Filipe who was also runner-up in 2016.
Soon after another Dame Malvina Major also took the stage and presented her Foundation's award to Eliza Boom, saying she would like to have given $10,000 to all the the singers.
Earlier the five singers performed art songs with pianist Terence Dennis and after the interval the Town Hall audience was treated to operatic arias from each of the finalists accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and conductor Stephen Mould.
The remaining finalists each receive $3,500
More about the Lexus Song Quest 2018