21-year-old Calgarian follows in Paul Brandt's footsteps, winning Stampede talent show

Winners of the Stampede Talent Search contest have gone on to big things. Anyone heard of a little-known country star named Paul Brandt?

Sunday, a new champion was selected from the group of young performers between age six and 21.

Caity Gyorgy, 21,is a jazz and blues singer born in Calgary but who lives in Toronto.

"I was speechless. As a jazz singer, younever really think you're going to win a stampede contest," GyorgytoldThe Homestretch's host Doug Dirks.

In the semi-finals, the young singer belted outTwo Left Feet.In the finals on Sunday, she choseBlue Skies, sung by many over the years, including on of Gyorgy's idols,Ella Fitzgerald.

"I love jazz. It's my favourite kind of music. I've been singing it for about four years now. I got inspired when I joined my high school's jazz choir and it was all downhill from there," Gyorgy said.

The 21-year-old was persistent in her pursuit of the prize, this was her sixth time gracing the stage in this competition.

"With the talent search it's not really like a competition," she said. "It's like a big family so it's a really fun thing to do.It's something that I look forward to during my summers and it's a really great environment. So it's always really fun no matter how you do in the competition it's always a great experience."

The prize for first place is $10,000 cash, a fully-produced radio-ready single, a photo shoot, a video shoot, along with a host of other things.

With files from The Homestretch.