The 19-year-old British Virgin Islands native beat Chris Rene and Josh Krajcik for the inaugural title, along with 100,000 hopefuls who auditioned for the singing competition in the spring. Amaro was initially cut from the competition early on which made the win even more significant for Amaro and her mentor, Simon Cowell.
VIDEO: Is Melanie Amaro the Next Beyonce?
“For me to have won was big. I feel blessed and I feel happy,” Amaro said in a press interview following the show. “I have worked so hard to get here and I truly deserve this.”
When the results were announced by host Steve Jones, an emotional Amaro repeatedly exclaimed, “Oh my God!” as her family joined her on stage. The teary-eyed songstress then took the stage for a final time to sing a rendition of Beyonce’s “Listen.”
VIDEO: Melanie Amaro Performs Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey’s ‘Believe’
Amaro walked away with a $5 million prize and recording contract with Sony Music, and she already knows what her first big purchase will be. “I’m gonna buy my mom a house and a first class plane ticket to Hawaii,” Melanie proudly told ET News.
Congrats, Melanie! With those soul-stirring vocals, we can’t wait to hear more from this talented singing sensation!
