Britney Holmes American Idol: Season 16 Contestant Won Golden Ticket

Singing competition show American Idol just returned to television for its 16th season on March 11, but fans already seem to have a frontrunner in mind: Britney Holmes. In fact, they’ve been rooting for her for months now…

ABC, Idol’s new network, actually aired Britney’s audition back in November. During the 2017 American Music Awards, the show’s judges introduced the Idol aspirants they thought deserved a second chance, and Britney was Katy Perry‘s choice. “I met this incredible young lady in Nashville,” the Witness singer said. “She came to audition, and she had an incredible voice.”

After that lofty praise, it was Britney’s time to shine. She launched into a soulful rendition of James Bay’s hit “Let It Go,” and the performance was enough to put her over the top in the subsequent viewer vote! During the Dancing With the Stars finale a day after the AMAs, Lionel Richie announced Britney had won the Golden Ticket to Season 16’s Hollywood round.

The 28-year-old is a star on the rise, but you might have seen her before. She played Emily Barnes on the PBS children’s series Wishbone, for example. On her website, Britney says she was inspired to start singing by a character on that show, and she soon began performing the National Anthem in around Dallas. With renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner at the Big 12 College Championships and Dallas Mavericks basketball games, Britney became known as the “National Anthem Queen.”

Britney’s website also reveals she has faced obstacles in her path, including vocal nodules and even a cancer diagnosis. With those health issues in the past, though, she’s singing again and even mentoring young up-and-comers through her B.Holmes project.

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A post shared by Britney Holmes (@msbritneyholmes) on May 10, 2017 at 11:11am PDT

But she’s not just waiting in the wings and helping others achieve greatness. Becoming a star is her Plan A, and as she says, there is no Plan B. She idolizes such artists as Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, and Justin Timberlake; and her cover of Bruno’s “Versace on the Floor” has already attracted more than 3.2 million YouTube views, so it seems like she’s destined for those stars’ level of fame. Best of luck to her and to the other Idol Season 16 contestants!