(bright dramatic music) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) ♪ Live in living color ♪ ♪ Let us take you for a ride ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ ♪ We're live in living color ♪ ♪ So sit back ♪ ♪ And let us be ♪ ♪ Your TV guide ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ I've got a story I'd like to tell ♪ ♪ But I'm gonna need help to tell it well ♪ ♪ I got a story about fame and money ♪ ♪ And it's sometimes sad ♪ ♪ And it's sometimes sunny ♪ ♪ I wanna live just not survive ♪ ♪ I wanna tell my story live ♪ ♪ In living color ♪ ♪ Something special's on tonight ♪ ♪ Yes I'm live in living color ♪ ♪ Life ain't lived in black and white ♪ (audience cheering) (upbeat music) - And now it's time to meet our esteemed panel of judges.

Here we go.

First up, Grammy nominated founder of the St. Louis Recording Club, and the longest tenured Teen Talent judge, Carl Nappa.

(audience cheering) Lifelong professional dancer and co-artistic director of the Center for Creative Arts in St. Louis, Antonio Douthit-Boyd!

(audience cheering) Internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist, recording artist, and frequent headliner at the Sheldon and Jazz St. Louis, Mardra Thomas.

(audience cheering) ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Yeah yeah ♪ - [Ben] Broadway producer and artistic director and execute producer of St. Louis' The Muny, Mike Isaacson.

(audience cheering) Classical music virtuosos and concert master at the Southeast Missouri State University Orchestrra, Sophia Han.

(audience cheering) Internationally acclaimed dancer, arts integration specialist, visionary, and educator, Alice Bloch.

(audience cheering) ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ - [Ben] World renowned acrobat and the longest tenured title holder of the 24/7 Title with World Wrestling Entertainment, Sidney Akeem Bateman.

(audience cheering) Broadway and television artist, musical theater songwriter, and Tony Award nominee, Taylor Louderman.

(audience cheering) And last but not least, lead singer of the Grammy nominated powerhouse band, The Urge, and one of St. Louis' favorite musical artists, Steve Ewing.

(audience cheering) All right!

Let's give it up for our fabulous judges!

♪ All right ♪ ♪ Come dance with me, come dance with me ♪ (audience cheering) All right, my friends.

And now the moment you've been waiting for.

It is time for you to meet tonight's finalists.

Here we go.

First up, Aragon, featuring Samuel Engel, Gavin Martin, and Aislynn Spraul.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) TNT, featuring Tyrico and Tyrick Turner.

(audience cheering) This is Sarah Brown.

(audience cheering) Please say hello to Lucas Ruser.

(audience cheering) Ariah Dailey!

(audience cheering) This is Jack Mullen!

(audience cheering) Say hello to Asher Koh!

(audience cheering) Please welcome Safiya Austin-El!

(audience cheering) This is Fuse, featuring Evan Kim, Ian Nolting, and Billy Stulac.

(audience cheering) West Wilson!

(audience cheering) This is Jillyb.

(audience cheering) Henry Foppe.

(audience cheering) Please say hello to Adios, featuring JaWae Bronner, Keith Brown, Alexis Clark, Trenton Hampton, Bryson Jones, and Daisha Leachman!

And finally, Hannah Joyner!

(audience cheering) ♪ 'Cause I, I, I'm in the stars tonight ♪ ♪ So watch me bring the fire ♪ ♪ And set the night alight ♪ ♪ Shining through the city ♪ ♪ With a little heart and soul ♪ ♪ So I'ma light it up like dynamite ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh ♪ ♪ Lighting up the night ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Oh!

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the 15th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition at the fabulous Fox Theater.

(audience cheering) It's a special night indeed.

Hi, my friends.

Are you ready to rock?

(audience cheering) I said are you ready to rock?

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) Already rock stars, our first finalists of the evening are committed to pursuing a career in music and continuing to develop their musical skills.

Please welcome to the stage, 16-year-old Oakville student, Samuel Engel, and 16-year-old Gavin Martin, and 14-year-old Aislynn Spraul, who are both home schooled.

Together, they are Aragon!

(playing "Barracuda" by Heart) - Our style of music, our genre of music, I like classic rock, he likes hair metal, he likes both, I guess.

Hey, let's learn a classic rock song.

"Barracuda"'s a great choice.

Yeah.

The lead singer of this band, Grayson, his mom was the one who introduced this to us, and was like, "Hey, we found a cool competition, so try it out."

Then that's how we found out about it.

♪ So, this ain't the end ♪ ♪ Saw you again today ♪ ♪ I had to turn my heart away ♪ ♪ Smiled like the sun ♪ ♪ Kisses for everyone ♪ ♪ And tales, it never fails ♪ ♪ You lying so low in the weeds ♪ ♪ I bet you gonna ambush me ♪ ♪ You'd have me down, down, down ♪ ♪ Down on my knees ♪ ♪ Now wouldn't ya ♪ ♪ Barracuda ♪ ♪ Uh-huh, yeah ♪ ♪ Sell me, sell you, the porpoise said ♪ ♪ Dive down deep now ♪ ♪ Save my head, you ♪ ♪ I think that you got the blues, too ♪ ♪ All that night and all the next ♪ ♪ Swam without looking back ♪ ♪ Made for the western pools ♪ ♪ Silly, silly fools ♪ (band continues playing "Barracuda") ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ The real thing don't do the trick ♪ ♪ No, you better make up something quick ♪ ♪ You gonna burn, burn, burn ♪ ♪ Burn down to the wick ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Barra, barracuda ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (band continues playing "Barracuda") ♪ Whoo, yeah ♪ (song ends) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Oh my!

What a way to begin the evening!

Thank you, Aragon!

My goodness.

Our next finalists, they are twin brothers.

They are sophomores at Vashon High School.

15-year-old Tyrick and Tyrico Turner.

They aspire to continue their training in college to become professional circus performers.

Here to prove that the show must go on with their explosive acrobatics, this is TNT.

(audience cheering) - A professional Cirque du Soleil performer, Evan, put that act together for us to do it here, and they helped us get work.

- [Tyrico] We practice at the City Museum downtown, a place where there's artifacts, you can play around, artifacts that you can play on, and we all have a circus ring where we do big shows every year, juggling ball, and that's where all the cool stuff happens, where people watch shows, get to inspire people a lot.

(upbeat exciting music) (upbeat exciting music continues) (audience cheering) (upbeat exciting music continues) (upbeat exciting music continues) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) (upbeat exciting music continues) (audience cheering) (upbeat exciting music continues) (upbeat exciting music continues) (upbeat exciting music continues) (audience cheering) (audience cheering) (audience cheering) - All right, thank you TNT!

Now, musical theater genius, Stephen Sondheim, wrote in his masterpiece, "Sunday in the Park with George" that the most important things in life are children and art.

Here to sing a song from that same musical is a senior from John Burroughs High School who aspires to study musical theater and art history in college.

Please welcome to the stage, 17-year-old Sarah Brown singing "Finishing the Hat".

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) (soft music) - So I heard Shoshana Bean sing this song once as just a cover, and it was really stripped down, solely guitar, and I just thought the song was so beautiful, and it made me look into this musical more, and I felt like I really connected with it.

I wanted to display my own rethinking of this song.

I feel like something that I'm trying to bring out through my voice is some jazziness and warmth, and that's something that I'm really proud of as a part of my voice, so a combination of my voice tone and this song I think really makes for a special performance.

♪ Finishing the hat ♪ ♪ How you have to finish the hat ♪ ♪ Mapping out a sky ♪ ♪ What you feel like, planning a sky ♪ ♪ What you feel when voices that come ♪ ♪ Through the window ♪ ♪ Go ♪ ♪ Until they distance and die ♪ ♪ Until there's nothing but sky ♪ ♪ And how you're always turning ♪ ♪ Back too late ♪ ♪ From the grass or the stick ♪ ♪ Or the dog or the light ♪ ♪ The kind of man who's willing to wait ♪ ♪ Not the kind that you want to find waiting ♪ ♪ To return you to the night ♪ ♪ Dizzy from the height ♪ ♪ Starting on the hat ♪ ♪ Back from this one to that ♪ ♪ Studying a face ♪ ♪ Stepping back to look at a face ♪ ♪ Leaves a little space in the way ♪ ♪ Like a window ♪ ♪ But to see ♪ ♪ It's the only way to see ♪ ♪ And when the man that you wanted goes ♪ ♪ You can say to yourself ♪ ♪ Well, I give what I give ♪ ♪ But the man who won't wait for you ♪ ♪ Knows that however you live ♪ ♪ There's a part of you ♪ ♪ Always standing by ♪ ♪ Mapping out a sky ♪ ♪ Finishing the hat ♪ ♪ Look, I made a hat ♪ ♪ Where there never was a hat ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Sarah.

All right, we'll move to our next finalist who is a freshman at Webster Groves High School, and he aspires to continue his training in college to become a professional dancer.

Performing a piece that explores the complex emotions surrounding grief, please welcome to the stage, 14-year-old Lucas Ruser.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) (soft piano music) - My expressions are definitely trying to convey all the steps that someone goes through when they're grieving another person.

Throughout my piece, I definitely start out in much more of a calm sense, and then throughout the middle, you can kind of see me just like someone who is grieving would break down, and then I kinda come back, and it becomes peaceful again.

(soft music) So it really just explores all the steps in grief.

(soft music continues) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) (soft music continues) (soft music continues) (music intensifying) (intense music continues) (music softens) (soft music continues) (music fades) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you.

Thank you, Lucas.

Now our next finalist is a singer-songwriter from Innovation High School.

Tonight she'll be playing her original song, "Hold On", and she hopes that it will uplift and inspire anyone who may be going through difficult challenges.

Please welcome to the stage, Ariah Dailey.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - "Hold On" was an inspiration based off of my life, me going through, me feeling down myself, me feeling like I didn't know what to hold onto, not knowing who I was, and I found it again within that song, within the words.

It's like it was a voice in my head saying, "Hold on", when I asked the question, "Well, what am I here for?"

Hold on.

And after that, the words just started flowing through me.

♪ In the storm and the rain ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Hmm ♪ ♪ But I know the Lord ♪ ♪ Is keeping me ♪ ♪ He's healing me ♪ ♪ Ain't about what I feel ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know that it won't help me heal ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Hmm ♪ ♪ So I'll just stay strong ♪ ♪ And hold on ♪ ♪ This won't last for long ♪ ♪ That's why I say yeah ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Don't be discouraged ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ And now I can survive ♪ ♪ Knowing that the Lord is on my side ♪ ♪ Yeah, hmm ♪ ♪ And that he's keeping me ♪ ♪ He's healing me ♪ ♪ Taking care of me ♪ ♪ That's why I sing, yeah ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ To what he promised ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ You called me to do something unexpected ♪ ♪ So I will just hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Don't be discouraged ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ To what he promised ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ You've been through some pain ♪ ♪ Enduring the storm and the rain ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Hmm ♪ ♪ But I know the Lord ♪ ♪ He's keeping you ♪ ♪ He's healing you ♪ ♪ Hold ♪ ♪ On ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Ariah!

Thank you, Ariah!

Now, as a senior at Parkway West High School, our next contestant intends to study musical theater in college, and pursue a career on Broadway.

Here to sing the song, "Fight the Dragons" from the whimsical Broadway musical, "Big Fish", please welcome 17-year-old Jack Mullen.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - The music comes from this rural sort of style.

It's a musical that's very whimsical yet realistic at the same time.

Those two words are confusing.

I fell in love with it.

So my passion for music started at a very early age.

I first watched a VHS tape of the "Cats" musical from the early 80s or 90s a pro shot of it, and that got me obsessed with the way they created it, the way that they sung it, performed it, and so I found other avenues of music through musical theater, and create, I love doing that, so.

♪ People tell me stay at home ♪ ♪ But I'm not made for things ♪ ♪ Like mowing lawns or apron strings ♪ ♪ I am my best ♪ ♪ When not at rest ♪ ♪ So I fight the dragons ♪ ♪ And I storm the castles ♪ ♪ And I win a battle or two ♪ ♪ Then comes the day it's time ♪ ♪ I'm packing up and I am bringing ♪ ♪ All my stories home to you ♪ ♪ And I wonder as I wander on the road ♪ ♪ From door to door ♪ ♪ Exactly what you think of where I've been ♪ ♪ Did you know I joined the circus ♪ ♪ Met a mermaid, fought a war ♪ ♪ Do you know I think of you ♪ ♪ Through thick and thin ♪ ♪ Out there on the road, I pray ♪ ♪ You'll come to me one day ♪ ♪ And say ♪ ♪ Let's fight the dragons ♪ ♪ And then storm the castles ♪ ♪ 'Til we win ♪ ♪ What needs to be won ♪ ♪ So when I'm old and tired ♪ ♪ You'll do the job required ♪ ♪ You'll be there ♪ ♪ Telling stories ♪ ♪ To your son ♪ ♪ So we'll fight the dragons ♪ ♪ And then storm the castles ♪ ♪ And I'll do the best that I can ♪ ♪ But everybody knows ♪ ♪ That's how the story goes ♪ ♪ To turn each boy into a bigger man ♪ ♪ So I'll fight the dragons ♪ ♪ 'Til ♪ ♪ You can ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Jack.

My friends, can you believe the magnificent talent our community has to offer?

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) All right.

Our next contestant is a senior at Parkway Central High School, and he intends to study piano and violin in college.

Here to perform his own arrangement of this Gershwin medley, please welcome 17-year-old Asher Koh.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - So my arrangement with Gershwin and violin and piano came together 'cause first of all, I'm classically trained in violin and piano, but I'm also involved in my school's jazz band, and I love to play jazz, so I thought of a composer that could intertwine those two elements, classical and jazz together, and I thought of Gershwin.

I played his "Rhapsody in Blue" before, so I decided to take that tune and some other tunes and put them together, showcasing everything that I can do.

(soft piano music) (playing solemn violin music) (continues playing solemn violin music) (continues playing solemn violin music) (audience applauding) (continues playing solemn violin music) (continues playing solemn violin music) (continues playing solemn violin music) (audience applauding) (audience applauding) (playing lively piano music) (audience applauding) (continues playing lively piano music) (rapping on piano) (plays lively piano music) (raps on piano) (continues playing lively piano music) (audience applauding) (audience cheering) (continues playing lively piano music) (continues playing lively piano music) (audience applauding) (audience cheering) - Thank you, Asher!

The dreams of our next contestant including helping others with music therapy.

From Grand Center Arts Academy, here to sing the song "My Man" from the Broadway musical, "Funny Girl", please welcome to the stage 16-year-old junior, Safiya Austin-El.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) (soft piano music) - Really find it, it was just inside of me.

I just had to bring it out.

I've always been a powerful singer, and I take people by surprise with that.

I have had a lot of private vocal lessons, and I feel like that's helped me strengthen the power of my voice as well.

And I feel like that's a really, really, really good component to have, especially when students are just so passionate about what they do, that really shows you, yes, I wanna do this.

I'm ready to put in the work.

♪ All right ♪ ♪ What's the difference if I say ♪ ♪ I'll go away ♪ ♪ When I know I'll come back ♪ ♪ On my knees someday ♪ ♪ For whatever my man is ♪ ♪ I am his ♪ ♪ Forever more ♪ ♪ Oh, my man, I love him so ♪ ♪ He'll never know ♪ ♪ All my life is just despair ♪ ♪ But I don't care ♪ ♪ When he takes me in his arms ♪ ♪ The world is bright ♪ ♪ All right ♪ ♪ What's the difference if I say ♪ ♪ I'll go away ♪ ♪ When I know I'll come back on ♪ ♪ My knees someday ♪ ♪ For whatever my man is ♪ ♪ I am his ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ More ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Our next finalists, they have been performing music together for over a year, and all three of them, they plan to continue to pursue music after high school.

Please welcome 17-year-old Ian Nolting and 16-year-old Evan Kim, both from Westminster Christian Academy, and 16-year-old home school student, Billy Stulac.

They are here to perform their original song, "In My Dreams".

Here they are, Fuse.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Evan Kim wrote all the chords out for the song, and then he showed it to me, and I put lyrics to it.

We couldn't figure out how to put the piano and the bass and the guitar in a section, in the first section, and have him sing, and then the second section, we couldn't figure out how to add the drums in, because we only had three people.

So I suggested we just switch around, and after some, a little bit of problems at the beginning, we figured out how to properly switch around the stage.

♪ But then I kicked the can ♪ ♪ Now I'm lost ♪ ♪ Gotta find someone new again ♪ (playing jaunty piano music) (continues playing jaunty piano music) ♪ I was in love land ♪ ♪ Don't let it leave your arms ♪ ♪ Tonight ♪ ♪ I never want to leave your side ♪ ♪ I'm falling in love, yeah ♪ ♪ Your smile, so sweet ♪ ♪ My girl ♪ ♪ Your tender touch is my remedy ♪ (all playing upbeat music) (all continue playing upbeat music) (all continue playing upbeat music) ♪ Can't get you out my mind ♪ ♪ Can't get you out my head ♪ ♪ 'Cause your presence ♪ ♪ My paradise ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Your cure for love ♪ ♪ You're the only one I see ♪ ♪ In my dreams ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Our next finalist is a junior at Crossroads College Preparatory School.

He plans to go to college to study finance in addition to continuing his training as a circus performer.

Now hand balancing is a very specialized art form, and here to show us how it's done, performing his piece called "Arcade", please welcome 16-yeah-old West Wilson.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) (inspiring music) - When I hit a move, I feel great, 'cause sometimes I don't always feel the most confident about my moves.

And so when I actually hit them, I'm like, oh my gosh, I did this amazing thing.

So it's partly me, and partly seeing people's reaction.

I was just bored one day and decided I wanted to learn how to do a hand stand.

I started coming in and training with this amazing coach, the name is Rosa.

She's very talented, world-renowned hand balancer, and so I've just been training with her for the past three years now, and it's been so influential and amazing for me.

(inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) (music intensifying) (inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you, West.

All right.

Let's move to our next finalist.

Up next, another original song.

Belleville East High School junior, Jillian Ritter.

She plans to continue writing, recording, and performing her own music, so here she is to perform her own song, "Too Good to Be True", please welcome 16-year-old Jillyb!

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - The beginning of last year, I just had this title, "Too Good to Be True", and so throughout the past year, I've been writing it.

Me and my dad actually performed it on the news, 'cause I was going on a trip to Grammy Camp in LA, so that song got pretty tight pretty quickly, and then I was like, "Hey, I'm gonna produce a track for it and perform it," and here I am.

It's really fun.

It's a pop bop, kind of a Dua Lipa kind of thing, dance-y, bass-y, yeah.

I mean, to be honest, I think my voice is a gift, but all the refining has come from rehearsals and classes and training, and to lift people up with it.

♪ My eyes up ♪ ♪ Call me crazy ♪ ♪ But it's nothing ♪ ♪ That's new ♪ ♪ Not sugarcoating it ♪ ♪ For your sweet tooth ♪ ♪ Like the clouds ♪ ♪ Clearing so we can see ♪ ♪ Through seems almost ♪ ♪ Too good, too good to be true ♪ ♪ Ba da da ba da dum ♪ ♪ Ba da da ba da dum ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Ba da da ♪ ♪ Every dot of the I ♪ ♪ And cross of the T ♪ ♪ Is covered by the fire ♪ ♪ Blazing inside of me, yeah ♪ ♪ All that's gone has been washed away ♪ ♪ By the tide ♪ ♪ Well nothing said it better ♪ ♪ Than the test of time ♪ ♪ Call me crazy ♪ ♪ But it's nothing ♪ ♪ That's new, not sugarcoating ♪ ♪ It for your sweet tooth ♪ ♪ Like the clouds clearing ♪ ♪ So we can see ♪ ♪ Through seems almost too good ♪ ♪ Too good to be true ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa ♪ ♪ Oh, oh ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Na na na ♪ ♪ Na, oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Come on ♪ ♪ Call me crazy ♪ ♪ But it's nothing ♪ ♪ That's new, not sugarcoated for you ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Like the clouds ♪ ♪ Clearing so we can see ♪ ♪ The road seems almost ♪ ♪ Too good to be true ♪ ♪ Ba da da ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Jillyb!

Our next contestant is a musician and composer who is interested in writing music for the film industry.

He's a sophomore at St. John Paul II Preparatory School.

He is here to perform his original composition, "Mind Storm", which intends to capture the tensions within the range of emotions that accompany loss.

Please welcome to the stage, 16-year-old Henry Foppe.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - I started writing music when I was, like, nine-ish.

And I didn't take piano lessons, I just sat down at the piano and started figuring it out.

And so I taught myself for the first few years, and then probably I would like to score movies when I'm older.

I just think any film composing is kind of up my alley.

By far the best film score ever made is "Interstellar".

(playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (continues playing soft piano music) (playing dramatic piano music) (continues playing dramatic piano music) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Henry!

Now our next act is a group of students from Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) Please welcome to the stage 15-year-old sophomore Alexis Clark, 17-year-old junior, Bryson Jones, 17-year-old senior, Daisha Leachman, 18-year-old senior, Keith Brown, 17-year-old junior, JaWae Bronner, and 17-year-old senior, Trenton Hampton.

Together, they bring you Adios!

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - A lot of rehearsal goes into this, and our dance teacher, Rae Parks, at Central Visual and Performing Arts, signed all of us up to do a piece that was made in the beginning of 2024, by Endia Mosley.

It was difficult claiming, and trying to get it.

That's hard, so I think it was really fun.

♪ I'm sorry for quickly jumping into the train ♪ ♪ I waited, but no one came ♪ ♪ You were just too late ♪ ♪ That decision is mine ♪ ♪ The decision is mine ♪ ♪ So let the lesson be mine ♪ ♪ Let the lesson be mine ♪ ♪ The decision is mine ♪ ♪ The decision is mine ♪ ♪ So let the lesson be mine ♪ ♪ Let the lesson be mine ♪ ♪ The decision is mine ♪ ♪ The decision is mine ♪ ♪ 'Cause the vision is mine ♪ ♪ The vision is mine ♪ ♪ Lest the trees cease breathing ♪ ♪ Lest the bees cease breeding ♪ ♪ And all the salts in the dead sea ♪ ♪ Ferments to honey ♪ ♪ Until then ♪ ♪ I'll be forever chasing ♪ ♪ Chasing ♪ ♪ Chasing it all ♪ ♪ To the very end ♪ ♪ The decision is mine ♪ ♪ Let the lesson be mine ♪ ♪ 'Cause the vision is mine ♪ ♪ The decision is mine ♪ ♪ Let the lesson be mine ♪ ♪ 'Cause the vision is mine ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Adios!

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) And now it is time for our final act of the evening.

This Belleville East High School senior aspires to study music education in college, and she's here to sing a Stevie Wonder classic.

Here to perform "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", please welcome Hannah Joyner.

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Getting back in the Teen Talent was amazing.

It felt so comfortable to me, and you only get an opportunity like this once in a lifetime, so this is amazing.

All I can say is it's by the grace of God that I have vocals like this, and that they continue to grow every day, and thank you to my vocal coach, Steve Neil, for unlocking some of the techniques I use in this song right now.

♪ Having but ♪ ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing ♪ ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'll be standin' on the side ♪ ♪ When you check it out ♪ (bright upbeat music) ♪ Everybody needs a change ♪ ♪ A chance to check out the new, yeah ♪ ♪ You're the only one who sees ♪ ♪ The changes you take yourself through ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa, ooh ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing ♪ ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing ♪ ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing ♪ ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing ♪ ♪ Don't you worry ♪ ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'll be standing ♪ ♪ I'll be standing ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ ♪ Don't you worry 'bout a thing ♪ (audience cheering) (audience applauding) - Oh my goodness!

Thank you, Hannah!

And there you have it!

That's Teen Talent!

Let's hear it once again for all the finalists!

(audience applauding) (audience cheering) And now, this is the moment we've all been waiting for.

Here we go, yes.

Can I have the envelope, please?

Oh, I see.

Okay.

The third place $4,000 scholarship has been underwritten by long time philanthropist, Sally Johnston, and will be presented by her son, Steve Johnston.

Hello, sir.

All right, here we go.

Do you wanna see first, Steve?

Okay.

Here we go.

It goes to Safiya Austin El!

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) (bright upbeat music) Here we go.

The second place $6,000 scholarship has been underwritten by John Russel.

Second place goes to Asher Koh!

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) (bright upbeat music) Oh, my friends.

Here we go.

The first place $8,000 scholarship has been underwritten by the one and only Mary Strauss.

The winner of the 15th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition is (drum rolling) Adios!

(audience cheering) (audience applauding) (bright upbeat music) That's it!

There you have it!

Thank you, everyone!

You have been an amazing audience.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this amazing event, and we can't wait to see you at our 16th Annual Teen Talent Competition on January 24th, 2026, right here on the fabulous Fox stage.

Goodnight!

♪ Listen here ♪ ♪ I kinda noticed ♪ ♪ Something wasn't right ♪ ♪ From your colorful face ♪ ♪ It's kinda weird to me ♪ ♪ Since you're so fine ♪ ♪ If it's up to me ♪ ♪ Your face will change ♪ ♪ If you smile ♪ ♪ Then that should set the tone ♪ ♪ Just be limber ♪ ♪ And if you let go ♪ ♪ The music should move your bones ♪ ♪ Just remember ♪ ♪ Sing a song with me ♪ ♪ Can't nobody love you like I love you ♪ ♪ You're a good girl ♪ ♪ And that's what makes me trust you ♪ ♪ Late at night, I talk to you ♪ ♪ Girl ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Come on, what you wanna do ♪ ♪ I'm in front of you ♪ ♪ Grab a friend, see ♪ ♪ I can have fun with two ♪ ♪ Play number three ♪ ♪ Joint called brain ♪ ♪ Ma took a hint ♪ ♪ Made me swerve in the lane ♪ ♪ The name malicious ♪ ♪ And I burn every track ♪ ♪ Clipse and J. Timberlake ♪ ♪ Now how heavy is that ♪ ♪ Maybe we'll fly the night away ♪ ♪ I just wanna love you baby ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Maybe we'll fly ♪