Star Academy is a pan-Arab televised talent show that aims to discover young talented singers from Arab countries. Contestants perform Oriental and Western songs, and many contestants go on to sign contracts with record label Rotana.

This year Star Academy was launched on April 1 and included 20 contestants from Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Three singers from Egypt entered the competition: Karim Kamel, Ahmed Ezzat and Nesma Mahgoub.

Three contestants reached yesterday’s finals: Ezzat and Mahgoub from Egypt and Sarah Farah from Syria. Mahgoub was announced as the winner, and became the second Egyptian to win the prize (after Mohamed Ateya who won Star Academy 1) and also the second female winner of the competition.

Nesma is known in the Egyptian music scene and she often appears in concerts held in a variety of locations in Cairo, including El-Sawy Culturewheel, Cairo Opera House and Bibliotheca Alexandrina.  She is the vocalist of band Origin and has participated in many other concerts. Mahgoub has won a number of local and international competitions.

Mahgoub, who is 22 years old, has unique vocal abilities, and her victory in Star Academy 8 was anticipated. She has the very rare skill of singing Oriental, Western and operatic music with equal excellence. Her voice, technique and control are her main assets. Moreover, as a performer Mahgoub has a very powerful stage presence and full control over her artistic output, something that she proved during many of her Cairo concerts, and which helped to distinguish her from other Star Academy contestants from the beginning.

With right choices and a bit of luck, Mahgoub is an excellent candidate for a thriving career in the field.