The 2023 season of Australian Idol has concluded with a thrilling finale that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. Over the course of several weeks, the show featured mesmerising performances.
In the grand finale, three exceptional singers, Royston Sagigi-Baira, Phoebe Stewart, and Josh Hannan, competed for the coveted prize. The trio demonstrated their individual music styles and remarkable talents in a fierce competition for the title.
But it was Royston Sagigi-Baira who the country voted to be the next Australian Idol. The winner also received a recording contract with industry giant Sony Music and a whopping $100,000 in prize money.
24-year-old Thanakwith and Wagadagam man, Royston Sagigi-Baira, took home the Australian Idol, as the franchise’s first revival since 2009.
His final — and winning — performance, was an insane rendition of When You Believe, the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston duet from the film The Prince of Egypt. In true Royston style, he let his inner-diva shine, while also showing Australia why he deserved the crown.
Impressing the judges in his first audition with Sam Smith’s I Know I’m Not the Only One, Royston grew up in the small community of Mapoon at the tip of Far North Queensland. He now gets to join his biggest inspiration, Jessica Mauboy, along with some amazing other alumni of show winners.
Other grand finalists, 15-year-old Phoebe Stewart and 20-year-old Josh Hannan, didn’t go down without a fight. Both putting on fantastic performances of their own, we’re expecting that this will not be the last we see of them.
Harry Connick Jr and Australian pop sensation Jessica Mauboy gave a spectacular performance on the jam-packed night. Mauboy, who was once an “Idol” contestant and is now a coach on The Voice Australia, dazzled the audience with her latest single ‘Right Here, Right Now’.
After a 14-year break, Idol finally made a comeback to local screens. The show featured a panel of judges including Kyle Sandilands, Amy Shark, Harry Connick Jr, and Meghan Trainor.
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