Karaoke World Championships

Karaoke World Championships
History
Genre	International Talent Search
Country Of Origin	Finland
Producers	Oy KWC Organisation Ltd
Started	2003
Final Venues
2003-2005	Heinola, Finland
2006	M/S Galaxy Helsinki-Estonia
2007	Bangkok, Thailand
2008-2009	Lahti, Finland
2010	Moscow, Russia
2011	Killarney, Ireland
2012-2013	Lappeenranta, Finland
Reigning Champions
Sarah Ramos, Spain & Teruhisa Tanaka, Japan

Originating in Finland in 2003 with 7 countries, the Karaoke World Championships are an international karaoke competition, featuring nearly 30 countries worldwide in 2007.

National trials are conducted in each participating country every year with the winners competing in the international finals for the titles of male & female Karaoke World Champions. Finland was the host country for the international finals from 2003 until 2005. In 2006, the finals were held aboard the M/S Galaxy whilst cruising the Baltic Sea from Helsinki to Estonia return. Thailand was the first country to host the finals outside of Finland in September, 2007. In 2008, the event returned to Finland, and was twice consecutively in Lahti Hall.

In December 2005, the top 5 male & female champions of that year were invited to perform for the Princess of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand in the 'KWC Lights Up The Night' tsunami fundraising concert. The black tie concert was televised throughout Thailand and raised money for the 2004 tsunami victims.

On April 6, 2007, Finnish National Karaoke World Champion 2005 & 3rd place Karaoke World Champion 2005, Ari Koivunen, was announced as the winner of Idols, the Finnish version of the UK hit, Pop Idol.

The 2011 World Championships took place in Killarney, Ireland..

The 2012 World Championships took place in Lappeeranta, Finland between 28 November and 1 December at Holiday Club Saimaa

The 2013 World Championships took place in Lappeeranta, Finland between 21 November and 23 November at Holiday Club Saimaa

The 2014 World Championships will take place in Stockholm, Sweden between 13 November and 15 November at Solidaritet Arena

Participating Countries

• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan Republic
• Belarus
• Canada
• China
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Faroe Islands
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ghana
• Greece
• Hong Kong, China
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Japan
• Jordan
• Latvia
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Macau/China
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Moldova
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Panamá
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• Singapore
• South Africa
• Sweden
• Spain
• Thailand
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• United States Of America
• Vietnam

Previous winners

2013 Male
1st Teruhisa Tanaka, Japan
2nd Michael Asovale, New Zealand
3rd Roman Leyba, Russia
2013 Female
1st Sarah Ramos, Spain
2nd Jenni Ylätalo, Finland
3rd Kimberly Evans, USA

2012 Male
1st Luis Boutin, Panama
2nd Ville Pyykönen, Finland
3rd Cornelius Andrews, USA
2012 Female
1st Raquel Pando, Spain
2nd Candice Skjonnemand, Australia
3rd Lilibeth Garcia, Philippines

2011 Male
1st Marc Hatem, Lebanon
2nd Joel Cruz, Philippines
3rd Vladimir Pak, Russia
2011 Female
1st Cassandra Jopp, USA
2nd Estefania Gralla, Spain
3rd Jerrica Santos, Canada

2010 Male
1st Sam Moudden, Finland
2nd Fedor Rytikov, Russia
3rd Georg Duschlbauer, Austria
2010 Female
1st Maria Saarimaa-Ylitalo, Finland
2nd Julia Kurileva, Russia
3rd Tami Marie, USA

2009 Male
1st Adrian Kenny, Ireland
2nd Sami Muhonen, Finland
3rd Elie-Georges Hatem, Lebanon
2009 Female
1st Nataliya Pilyutina, Russia
2nd Dina David, Australia
3rd Jenni Roth, Finland

2008 Male
1st Michael Bates, Australia
2nd Anthony Garcia, United Kingdom
3rd Medhanie Mezgebe, Sweden
2008 Female
1st Julie Gonnet, France
2nd Elaine O'Halloran, Ireland
3rd Jasmine Kara, Sweden

2007 Male
1st Lu Hee Wah (Kelvin), Malaysia
2nd Michael Moses Griffin, USA
3rd David Naughton, Ireland
4th Juha Karvonen, Finland
5th Gabor Erdélyi, Hungary
2007 Female
1st Julie Walter-Sgro, Australia
2nd Vanessa Cooney, Ireland
3rd Gabriella Lukács, Hungary
4th Tina Fischer, Sweden
5th Corina Susanna Mitchell, Austria

2006 Male
1st Mark Wilson, Australia
2nd David September, South-Africa
3rd Badri Ibrahim, Malaysia
4th Patcharaphol Atipremanon, Thailand
5th Harry Ross, Germany
2006 Female
1st Tham Hui Chyi (Vicky Tham), Malaysia
2nd Yao Dan, China
3rd Veronica Konnova, Russia
4th Helena Virt, Estonia
5th Michele Lynch, Ireland

2005 Male
1st Iyad Sfeir, Lebanon
2nd Danny Cummins, Ireland
3rd Ari Koivunen, Finland
4th Timothy Duff Morrison, USA
5th Paolo Verdade, Portugal
2005 Female
1st Rachel Browne, Ireland
2nd Saisunee Sukhakrit, Thailand
3rd Isabel Viana, Portugal
4th Maria Saarimaa, Finland
5th Kelee Buswell, Australia

2004 Male
1st Thomas Strübler, Austria
2nd Robin Berg, Finland
3rd Bret Harmon, USA
4th Sami Gabriel, Lebanon
5th Sami Muhonen, Finland
2004 Female
1st Samantha Sayegh, Lebanon
2nd Shirley Lowther, Ireland
3rd Cathrine Hovland, Norway
4th Ann Wikström, Finland
5th Marianne Furberg, Norway

2003 Male
1st Uche Eke, England
2nd Olli-Pekka Junttila, Finland
3rd Jan-Mikael Pennanen, Finland
4th Jorn Grepperud, Norway
5th Alex Styrna, Poland
2003 Female
1st Danni Cadby, England
2nd Säde Hovisilta, Finland
3rd Christine Aas-Hals, Norway
4th Noora Lehtinen, Finland
5th Susanna Gärdström, Finland

External links

• Karaoke World Championships Official Webpage
• Idols Official Webpage
• KWC Australia Official Webpage
• 2012 Australian Final Champion on Morning Show
• KWC New Zealand Official Webpage
• KWC United States Official Webpage
• KWC Panama Official Webpage
• KWC Malaysia Official Webpage
• KWC China Official Webpage
• KWC India Official Webpage
• KWC Philippines Official Webpage
• KWC Spain Official Webpage
• KWC Canada Webpage
• KWC Hungary Webpage
• KWC Russia Webpage
• KWC South Korea Webpage
• KWC Germany Official Webpage
• KWC Austria Official Webpage