Teenage entertainer shines - October 2015

VICTORIOUS: Overall winner WHS student Briella Maua, 15, with Muddy River Country Music Awards convenor Elaine Holden.

Briella Maua sang her way to winning yet more trophies in Wanganui last weekend.

The Muddy River Country Music Awards were for people under 18, convenor Elaine Holden said, and there was only one other competition for young country singers in New Zealand.

This year there were 31 competitors with 84 entries, including from Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Hawera and Wellington.

Briella, 15, was a fantastic singer, the convenor said. She had entered last year and was encouraged to enter again.

"I thought she would do very well, so I am very happy."

The teenager won the intermediate solo section, the gospel section and came second in the intermediate traditional section.

She sang Hank Cochran's Make the World Go Away to win the overall title.

Briella is no stranger to performance. Her parents said she had a strong drive to entertain with song, music and dance.

She's been in Wanganui High School and Wanganui Intermediate School productions.

At the age of 11 she was chosen to sing the national anthem at a Meads Cup rugby final at Cooks Gardens, and she used to perform at a lot of country music events.

Dad Dion Maua said his daughter had always wanted to perform and excel, and had never had stage fright.

She took dancing lessons at the Sharyn Underwood School of Dance, and had weekly singing lessons with Lynn Whiteside.

"She has a superb voice," he said.

"Many people at the awards came up to us after and commented on its quality."

The awards were held in the Wanganui Girls' College Hall, with a concert by finalists on Saturday night. Each was backed by a five-piece band. The judges were John de Burgh, Daniel Harding and Gillian Bailey, and Briella won a total of $380.