A SINGER from Okehampton has made the regional finals of a nationwide music competition for unsigned artists.

Sarah Cornish, 21, is studying performing arts at the University of Chichester. She has made the regional final of Open Mic UK in Fareham on Sunday, October 7 and will battle it out with a series of other acts to claim a place in the national final, which takes place in the O2 Arena in London.

To reach the regional final Sarah had to prove her mettle in the audition stages, and will now be up against the best talent in the area in front of an audience of hundreds of people.

As well as being a singer, Sarah plays both bass guitar and piano, and performs a wide range of music, from folk to heavy metal. She has played instruments and sang from a young age, including her time at Okehampton College.

She said: 'It is really, really exciting. I got the news that I was in the regional finals the same day as my audition. I was the first in my age category in the audition, gave my acapella performance, and was called back in to let me know I'd got through.

'My family is very musical, my mum's a singer and we all love music, so that is where I got my love for music. My mum used to play me Thin Lizzy to help me get to sleep as a child, and my Nana was a big fan of Queen.

'So music for me has always been a very positive and outgoing thing, and singing is when I feel happiest.'

The competition searches for the UK's best singers, songwriters, rappers and vocalists of all genres who perform either covers or original material, and are unsigned to a label. Among previous winners is Birdy, a singer who has collaborated with band Mumford and Sons, and had hits across Europe and a number one album in Australia.

Chris Grayston, events co-ordinator for Open Mic UK said: 'We are looking to find an act that has something unique to offer, another Birdy that can go all the way, with both the ability to deliver a strong live performance, but also potential to become a professional recording artist. There is so much talent out there I'm sure we can find that star again.'

The latter stages of the competition provide acts with the opportunity to impress many guests from record labels, agencies and the entertainment industry as well as judges from BBC Introducing, national radio and regional press.

Past judges include Radio 1 DJs Ras Kwame and Annie Nightingale with Ivor Novello award winner Mark Hill and Kiss FM's Charlie Hedges already confirmed to join this year's grand final panel for 2012.