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AND THE WINNER IS: Shak Forbes with his awards

A COLLEGE student who was crowned winner of a popular music competition, has said he hopes to get the chance to inspire others with his compositions.

Shak Forbes saw off his rivals in the grand final of the 2011 Open Mic contest in London on January 21 to win a recording contract and up to a £30,000 investment to develop his career.

“I just want my music to progress and reach out to more people and hopefully inspire people,” he said.

In September while he was happy to just get an opportunity to perform on stage, he wanted to go all the way to the finals.

At the Indigo O2 in London, he won in both the 16 and under age categories and the overall competition.

“Normally when I come off stage, I’m very self-critical so in the other two rounds, I said it wasn’t good. I could have done much better. But this time I came off and it felt better. It was definitely the best performance,” Forbes said of his rendition of Mac Miller’s Best Day Ever.

During the five hours he spent waiting while the judges deliberated, Shak said he was “calm and relaxed.” Once he was announced as the winner, he admitted: “My friends and family were ecstatic, they were really happy.

“On the surface they looked happier than me. I put things into perspective and said this is when the work starts. I’m not some mega star; I’ve still got some work to go. Hopefully, I’ll have an album out soon – a successful one and be a rising talent in hip- hop.”