A TEENAGE singer-songwriter captured the judges' hearts at the final of a talent competition when she was told her performance was "quite simply perfect".
Hayley McKay won the £5,000 grand prize at the final of the Marston's National Talent Competition with a rendition of Dolly Parton's Jolene and singing her own composition dedicated to Help for Heroes.
Her song called Until His Returning took the words from a poem written by her great-grandmother while waiting for her husband to return from active duty.
The 19-year-old, from Darlington, said: "I found the poem which was about her waiting for him to come back from Dunkirk.
"I liked it because it was about hope. It was about her waiting, but in a positive way - I had to write somemusic for it as it's so beautiful."
Ms McKay will start a course at Brighton Institute of Modern Music in September.
She plans to use her prize money to pay for her fees and launch her music career.
She added: "Winning the competition has been tremendous. It was my aunt who recommended I take part and I just can't believe I've won - I was up against some brilliant acts."
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