A talented Stewarton singer has been honoured at the prestigious Scottish Young Musicians Solo Performer of the Year 2024.

Aimee Sharp was announced as the winner of the vocal category in the competition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

The singer had previously won the East Ayrshire Young Musician 2024 final, performing ‘Still Hurting’ from the musical film The Last Five Years.

Aimee will be awarded career-enhancing experiences thanks to the generosity of some of the UK’s top music organisations.

The panel of judges was led by trumpeter John Wallace CBE. He was joined by soprano Jane Irwin, violinist Greg Lawon, clarinettist Adam Lee and pianist Sinae Lee.

The day culminated in a performance by fellow Ayrshire musicians from Belmont Academy Woodwind Ensemble, who were previously named Ensemble of the Year.

John Wallace, head adjudicator, said: “You could put today’s winner and runners-up on any stage anywhere in the world and they would do the whole of Scotland proud.

"We have been completely blown away by the how standards continue to rise year on year and how these young people are keeping certain genres alive.

"It’s been absolutely staggering to behold and we hope to broaden the competition to include even more genres and categories next year.”

The Scotland-wide competition is run by The Music Education Partnership Group who work with every school and local authority to support music education and opportunities.