2025 WIA’s Got Talent Contestants
2024 Emerging Artist Winner, Christie Lenée
“Acoustic Guitarist of the Year” and celebrated singer/songwriter Christie Lenée is more than a musician – she’s an experience. Symphonic compositions flow from her fingertips effortlessly, with sound ranging from transcendental folk-pop to virtuosic instrumentals.
Christie has been described as “Dave Matthews meets Joni Mitchell and Michael Hedges,” integrating melodic pop lyricism with catchy hooks and percussive, harmonic textures. She achieved 1st place at the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2017.
Lenee’s newly released album Coming Alive reminds devout listeners of her spiritual and sublime songwriting, inspirational lyrics, and of course, sensational guitar playing. The first line of the intro title track (“I’ve got a feeling deep inside”), tells you everything you need to know: Lenée’s sixth album is a chronicle of joy and hope, of self-confidence and empowerment, of renewal and light.
2023 Emerging Artist Winner, Regina Sayles
In constant search of truth in her lyrics along her musical journey, Regina Sayles’ acoustic-driven, singer/songwriter melodies connect you to the everyday human condition. As a vocal chameleon, Regina belts and croons to the center of life’s heart strings. Unapologetic for who she is, Sayles is an active advocate for women and the LGBTQ+ communities through her music and stage performances. Think Sara Bareilles meets Sheryl Crow and together they march in a gay pride parade. Based in East Stroudsburg, PA, Regina tours whenever possible while remaining passionately dedicated to her loyal and loving local fan base. Regina has released two solo Eps, It’s Home and The Ann Street Session. In addition to singing 100+ live shows a year, Sayles has had the opportunity to open for female folk pioneer Tret Fure, Folk icon Ani DiFranco, and played as a featured artist on the 2019 Melissa Etheridge Cruise. In 2022, Regina toured Florida and Colorado, and hopes to expand her musical footprint even further by playing more new states in 2023-24! When she’s not playing solo, she can be found joining the Craig Thatcher Band as a featured vocalist. In January 2023, Regina released her single, “Rollin’ in the Hay,” her first solo single release in ten years! Regina will be releasing an EP of new music in the upcoming year.
2019 Emerging Artist Winner, e nina jay
e nina jay describes herself as “a Black, Lesbian, Womon, Writer who uses poetry as a tool of survival and to break silences around all forms of violence against gurls and womyn, with particular focus on the intersections of race, sexuality, and poverty. As a survivor of incest and rape, I believe womyn and gurls can create a powerful community to fight against the violence and constant degradation that weaves itself into every facet of our lives, by breaking silences and unraveling shame.” She has recently completed a 98-minute film called body of rooms, which features e. nina performing poetry and spoken word from her book of the same name. The film was shot in the summer of 2017 – before the #MeToo movement reached critical mass.
2018 Emerging Artist Winner, Carly Calbero.
2017 Emerging Artist Contest winners, Nia and Ness
Nia and Ness are a dancer-poet duo whose work is informed by the complexities of their relationship and aims at a deeper understanding of their co-reality through intense investigation of our individual identities. Along with being an artistic duo, they are also in a long-term, committed relationship. They use their bond, connection and intimacy to pull feelings and ideas out of each other that they might not have been able to grab onto personally. This ability to see each other in ways that no one else can or will drives a large portion of their art and allows the audience to come into their world and experience the depths of their lives with them. Nia and Ness use the similarities and differences within their identities and life experiences to create work that is filtered through their personal experiences to ultimately connect with their broader humanity.