Burnley’s Got Talent 2011 final -VIDEO

A packed auditorium watched as 24-year-old hairdresser Anna Greenaway was crowned winner of the first Burnley’s Got Talent competition after she wowed judges and the audience with her powerful rendition of “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri.

The panel of judges, Kirk Worley form the Mechanics, 2br presenter Christopher Dean, Koko’s owner Beverley Musso, Mark Nuttall and Carl Barnacle, from Pendleside Hospice, made a grand X-Factor-style entrance before the acts took to the stage.

Introduced by comperes Raynor Pepper and Jay Howarth, 10 acts dazzled spectators with song, dance and music, before the judges narrowed the finalists down to four.

Making it through to the final four were street dance group Unity, 10-year-old singer Alexandria Pollard and band Black Rain.

But it was Anna who impressed the audience, winning the public vote and scooping a £500 prize.

Presenting the winner with a cheque, Mayor of Burnley Coun. David Heginbotham said: “Tonight has been the best night Burnley has seen for many a long year.

“Burnley has the best talent in this country.”

The other six finalists who made it to the Mechanics were singers Sophie Stott, Tracy Cooke and Paul Rostron, duo “Manorwood,” Jessica McGlincey and Ben Rothwell, Elvis impersonator Jared Warne and a group of young dancers from the East Lancs School of Dance.

Organisers have promised to stage the event, held in aid of Pendleside Hospice, next year with the show set to be even bigger and better.

Organiser Raynor Pepper, who was helped by members of Burnley Mayoress’s Committee, said: “I was very pleased. It was something that hadn’t been done before and we had no idea how it was going to go.

“The judges were great, they gave good, constructive criticism. Next year we’ll do things slightly differently, with a bit of a twist, though we will do it for the hospice again.”