Natalie is Search for a Star winner
But at last night's final, only one of the hopefuls could take away the coveted trophy.
Each act performed their two numbers on stage at the Fry Club, giving it their all.
Then, after a nail-biting wait, the judges announced that the lucky contestant this year was Natalie Perry. The 22-year-old from Kingswood wins £1,000 and a day at a recording studio.
She sang Anastacia's I'm Outta Love and then a slower song called The Prayer, dedicated to her grandad.
Natalie, who works in Keynsham's Britannia Building Society, sings with a 14-piece function band at weddings and other events.
She said: "I am so pleased, and shocked – I can barely speak.
"I dedicated the song to my grandad because he looks after my nan, who has dementia, so he can't get to see me sing very much.
"But we found someone to look after her tonight so he could come to watch. I am so pleased he could make it, I love him so much.
"I really wanted to win this year so this is a brilliant result. I would really like to make a career out of singing so this really helps. I can't wait to get into the recording studio and make something to give to my grandad."
Winning £500 in second place was rapper Jemaine Williams, from Horfield, who commanded the stage in a baseball cap and hoodie as Frilla.
The 26-year-old performed two of his own tracks, including the upbeat number Bounce Shake for which he enlisted audience participation.
Jemaine, who is a supervisor in a shoe shop, said: "It's been a good night, I am the only rapper in the competition so I quite enjoy doing something a bit different to everyone else. The audience was great and went along with me. I have a single coming out soon with Bodysnatchers, so look out for that – this is what I want to do full time."
In third place with a cheque for £250 was Crystal Cooper, 16, who travelled from her home in Shaftesbury in Dorset for each stage of the competition.
Wearing a red dress, the teenager, who won Junior Search For a Star in 2006, sang Mercy by Welsh singer Duffy and her own song Going Through.
Crystal, who was also a finalist last year, has a record deal in Los Angeles and has been taking part in the competitions since the age of nine.
She said: "The judges had such a tough decision tonight. Everyone was amazing, so I am really happy to have come third. I'll be back next year to give it another go. Doing things like this is great for my confidence – tonight was the first time I had ever sung one of my own songs in public."
In fourth place, winning £150, was the band Last Orderz.
Drummer Alex Elvin, 17, singer and guitarist Jack Riddiford, 17, guitarist Tom Smith, 18, and bass player Nick Townley, 18, are all from south Bristol and won a Battle of the Bands competition last year.
They already play gigs at the Carling Academy, the Fleece and the Louisiana, and they were one of the top three bands in last year's Evening Post competition to find a band to support rock megastars Bon Jovi at Ashton Gate.
Last night the group, dressed in white shirts and colourful ties, played two of their own upbeat rock songs – a new one and the first one they ever wrote, called Con Artist.
It was a packed house with 230 people in the audience, and they clapped and cheered to show their appreciation after every song.
Judging the competition was Evening Post editor-in-chief Mike Norton, head of Bristol's popular music college Access To Music, John Douglass, and head teacher at Barrs Court Primary School, Barbara Fox.
Mr Norton said: "It was a really difficult decision, because there were so many talented young people tonight.
"I am just delighted to have been able to spend the evening with them."
Also performing last night was singer and guitarist William Hardiman, 17, from Backwell, who is a pupil at Backwell Comprehensive.
He played guitar and sang Hallelujah I Love Her So by Ray Charles and his own song, Bridge Valley Road.
Tom Pepper, from Coombe Dingle, works as a bar tender in the Harbourside venue the Living Room.
Wearing a white jacket and tie, the 21-year-old entertained the audience with Michael Bublé's jazzy version of Spiderman and for his second song, a ballad which he wrote himself, he also played the keyboard.
Trainee swimming teacher Rue Smith, from Kingswood, sang The Climb by Miley Cyrus and Leona Lewis's version of the Snow Patrol hit Run.
This was the 19-year-old's fourth time in Search For a Star – last year she finished third.
Four-piece rock band Class Apart, from Wells, played two of their own songs – Tonight and What Would You Do.
Smartly dressed for the night with a combination of ties and waistcoats, Wells Blue School pupils Tom Cory, 14, on lead guitar and vocals, George Ruddle-Hellier, 15, on rhythm guitar and vocals, Haydn Allen, 14, on bass guitar and drummer Paul Hawkins, 15, were very popular with the crowd.
Guitarist Ky Underhill, 16, wowed the crowds in the first heat with his solos, and did it again in the semi.
Last night, Ky, who got through to the semi-finals last year, played Canon Rock by Jerry C – variations on the popular tune Pachelbel's Canon – and donned a pair of sunglasses to play his idol Joe Satriani's Surfing With the Alien. The John Cabot Academy pupil from Hanham got huge cheers when he played with the guitar behind his head.
Jade Wilkinson, 16, from Swindon, is part of a local choir and has performed musicals at her local theatre.
Last year she made it through to the final, and this year she sang Whitney Houston's Run To You and Kiki Dee's I've Got The Music In Me.
Sarah Waddington, 16, from Kingswood, played the keyboard and sang her own version of James Taylor's Fire and Rain then her own song, I Wait.
Helen Marles, 17, from Trowbridge, is in her first year of sixth form college.
She took to the stage with a puppet for first song A Fine, Fine Line from the musical Avenue Q, then after a quick costume change she was back for a rendition of another show tune, Easy Money.
Care assistant Kirsty Clinch, 20, from Westbury in Wiltshire, finished fourth last year.
Last night, wearing a sparkling purple dress, she played guitar and sang her own song Las Vegas Lights and her version of Goldfrapp's A&E.
Kate Harris, 18, from Chepstow, is in her final year at Wyedean Sixth Form College and goes to actors workshop drama club in Flax Bourton.
Wearing a blue dress, she sang It Is You (I Have Loved) by Dana Glover from the film Shrek and The Girl in 14G by Kristin Chenoweth
Holly Byrd, 20, from Mangotsfield, works as an optical assistant at Vision Express.
She sang Canadian Alanis Morissette's hit Ironic and show tune Someone Like You from the musical Jekyll and Hyde.
Georgie Coles, 16, from Longwell Green, was a finalist in last year's competition. Last night she sang Sandi Thom's I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker and A Fine, Fine Line from the musical Avenue Q.
As the curtain came down on this year's competition, organiser Deb Dyer had nothing but praise for the 16 finalists and all the others who had taken part this year.
She said: "The standard of this year's competition has been really high – there were several rounds when it felt like the final because everyone was so good.
"It has been a great year for Search For a Star, and tonight was a great finish.
"Congratulations to everyone who took part. We are now looking forward to next year's competition."
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