TALENTED young singer Sarah Emily Shaw is hoping judges will be addicted to her choice of song at a regional competition this weekend.

Sarah has made it through to the regional finals of Open Mic 2014, the biggest search for unsigned talent in the UK.

The annual event travels the country in search of the UK’s best singers, singer songwriters, rappers and vocalists of all genres, performing covers or their own original material.

Nine thousand hopefuls entered nationwide, and Sarah will be competing in a regional final on Sunday in Liverpool.

The 20-year-old from Barnton will be performing Addicted to You by Avicii in the 16 to 20 age group in front of a panel of judges and an audience of 500.

If she makes it through she will win a place in the semi-finals, and bid for a spot in the final and the chance of winning £5,000 to spend on developing her music career.

“I chose Addicted to You for the regional final because it’s a good song to get the crowd up,” said Sarah, who works for a claims firm at Altrincham.

“I have prepared really well for Sunday’s performance, and hope it will all pay off.

“I am excited about the regional finals, although it will be nerve-wracking as there will be a lot of talented performers there.”

The judges and audience will decide if Sarah deserves a place in the semi-finals, and she hopes to go one better this year after reaching the regional finals in the 2013 competition.

She entered the Open Mic contest for the first time when she was 14, and thanked her vocal coach Rebecca Spence, from Project 9 Studio in Winnington Lane, for her support.

“I have been working with Rebecca for more than a year, and she has helped me get to the standard I need to be at,” she said.

“My ambition is to perform in front of big audiences, and I have always loved singing since I was about four.”

Sarah appeared at the Verdin Park and OMG festivals, and has also performed locally and at charity events.