Teenage singer is rising star
Teenage Cambridge singer Molly G Usmar has won a prestigious award, and will head to the United States next year to further develop her talent.
At the Variety Artist Club Awards, the Cambridge High School student won the 2016 Pat McMinn Rising Star Award.
She found out via phone that she was nominated for the award, so made the trip to Rotorua for the awards night earlier this month.
Her mother Toni Usmar said it was a big night with entertainers from all sorts of genres, not just music.
‘‘And there were some big names there too,’’ she said.
Dai Henwood was there, and won the Rielly Comedy Award.
But the award isn’t the only success for Molly this month. She has also been selected to go to Los Angeles and take part in a show similar to X-Factor.
Before the awards night, she received a message on Facebook from a woman who ‘‘had been watching her for a while’’ and wanted her to audition for the show.
At first, Molly thought it was a hoax. But after a phone call and the legitimate paperwork came through, she was pleased.
‘‘I thought it wasn’t real, but when I found out it was, I was in shock,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s kind of like X-Factor, where you get trained by the stars and go through semi finals and finals.’’
But it’s not just for singing - people can go for drama, dancing, and much more.
She will go through the mentoring process, sing her own songs, and be part of a television advertisement.
She’s not planning to enter more competitions in the lead up to her trip.
‘‘I really need to focus on this,’’ she said.
Molly will leave New Zealand in June 2017, and will be doing some fundraising events to help with her travel costs.
‘‘It’s a great opportunity for her to increase her skills, and bring them home,’’ said Toni.
Molly also hopes to get a scholarship to study overseas.