Ellie Barnhart, 14, of Duncan is the winner of the 2018 edition of Indie Entertainment’s Nanaimo Idol contest.
Barnhart outperformed contestants Olga Poyner and Cooper Pickering at the competition finale at Maffeo Sutton Park during Bathtub Weekend festivities on Sunday, July 22.
“It’s really exciting and I’m really proud of myself but I’m also really proud of the other contestants, Cooper and Olga. They were really amazing and I was really rooting for them as much as I was myself,” Barnhart said shortly after her victory.
With the win Barnhart gets a prize package including the writing and recording of an original song with Indie owner Jona Kristinsson at producer Rob the Viking’s Chamber studio. Other prizes include a photo shoot, help with vocals from Indie’s West Coast Vocal Academy and acting classes at Kismet Theatre Academy. Kristinsson, also one of the judges, said the prizes help equip an up-and-coming performer with the tools needed to break into the entertainment industry.
Kristinsson said Barnhart’s consistency and ability to take advice and criticism made her stand out among the hopefuls.
“She took the words of the judges very literally and worked on that each week and that’s exactly what we look for in an Idol,” Kristinsson said.
“Because it’s a tough business and you often hear from your friends and family how awesome you are and how great you are but when it comes to being professional, there’s always something you can work on.”
Barnhart said winning the competition will help open doors for her as she pursues music.
“I’ve had a few other opportunities to work on stage and sing, but this is a big point in my career,” she said.
The final consisted of two performances: one with the support of the Nanaimo Idol backing band – the Femme Fatales – and another done a cappella. Barnhart chose to sing My Church by country singer Maren Morris and Radioactive by the rock group Imagine Dragons.
It’s been a long road to the Nanaimo Idol crown. The competition began with a live audition at the Queen’s on May 30, with subsequent rounds every two weeks leading up to Bathtub Weekend. Barnhart beat out 15 contestants to win the competition.
“It hasn’t been very stressful or anything … I had a lot of time to prepare and a lot of time to sort things out. And I think that I’ve just gained a lot of confidence from one round to the other and just continuing on in this journey,” she said.
She said by the time she reached the second round she started to realize that winning and making a go at singing were possibilities.
“I love singing and I’ve been doing it for a long time and I thought it would just be fun to get on the stage,” she said of her decision to enter the contest.
“I wasn’t planning on wining. I didn’t enter it because it was a competition, I entered it because it was a stage and I love stages.”
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