COME Sunday, October 2, Robert Ewart, Mozein Sutherland, and Oshene Watson will be vying for top honours in Season 18 of Digicel Rising Stars.

The winner will receive $1.5 million in cash, among other prizes.

Last Sunday’s show saw Hanover resident Shaunette Cameron exiting the contest having secured the lowest number of votes.

“My takeaway from the competition is that I learned to be more confident in myself; I also improved on my stage performance. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to be a singer,” Cameron told the Jamaica Observer.

Cameron, who works as a chef at the Royalton Resort in Negril, said she entered the competition after being encouraged by family and friends.

“I always wanted to enter this competition, which I have been watching for years. I know that I have the talent and can make it very far in music,” she opined.

She said the support from her family and friends helped to take her to the top four of the competition.

“The highlight for me was when I got good comments from all the judges. Through this experience, people got to know my talent and it gave me the opportunity to pursue my singing career,” said Cameron.

Cameron said the not-so-positive comments she received from the judges were motivation for her to continue the journey.

“The criticisms didn’t affect me [as] I used them as a motivation to push myself to do better. I strongly believe in myself, and I am determined to make my singing career a success,” she declared.

Asked what she will miss most from being in the competition, Cameron said: “I’ll miss the friends that I have made.”

On Sunday night’s show, which aired on Television Jamaica (TVJ), the remaining three contestants performed two songs each.

Sutherland did a rendition of Mortimer’s Lightning, which was well-received by the judges, while his second song, an interpretation of the popular gospel standard Lord I Need You Now, sealed his fate as a forerunner for the title.

Season-favourite Robert Ewart was on point with his performance of Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel and Jennifer Rush’s 1985 hit The Power of Love.

The sole female remaining in the competition, Oshene Watson, finally came full circle with two creditable performances; her take on Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and Chaka Khan and Rufus’s 1983 chart-topping single Ain’t Nobody.

2017 first runner-up Touriss and guest judge Yaksta were the night’s guest performers.

Previous winners of Digicel Rising Stars contest include Christopher Martin, and Romain Virgo. Other high-profile contestants include Nickesha Barnes, Noddy Virtue, and Jodian Pantry.