Sarah Bonnici, who will be representing Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö later this year was surprised by her victory on Saturday evening.
“I didn’t expect this,” the 25-year-old singer told Times of Malta.
Bonnici dominated the competition on Saturday night with her high-energy song Loop and obtained a total of 102 points.
Matt Blxck’s Banana got 80 points, and former X-Factor winner Ryan Hili placed third in the contest with his song Karma, garnering 71 points overall.
"I don't know how I am feeling, I am feeling super happy," Bonnici said moments after being crowned winner of the competition.
"So far I have no plans, I didn't expect this. I will train as hard as I can so that I can make sure I can elevate my performance."
The 25-year-old Gozitan singer started her journey in 2009 when she first participated in the finals of the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest and placed third.
On Saturday, Bonnici's performance won over the judges who awarded her the highest scores with a total of 79 points.
Voting was split between a professional jury panel and nationwide televoting.
Blxck emerged as an audience favourite, with the highest share of televoting votes - 29 - going to him. Blxck briefly held a one-point lead above Bonnici, where he topped the list momentarily with 80 points.
However, Bonnici's strong lead with the judges' votes pushed her into a comfortable lead with an additional 23 points from the audience vote, securing her the win.
Hili, a former X-Factor Malta winner remained steady in third place, getting 51 points from the judges and 17 votes from televoting.
Saturday’s finale was not a live show, but a live-on-tape performance streamed to audiences.
Instead of performing in front of cheering fans and an eager audience, the artists' pre-recorded performances were aired at the PBS studios in Guardamangia, and viewers weren't shy about expressing their disappointment at the change.
Sarah Bonnici with the other contestants celebrating Bonnici's win. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier