Courtney Hadwin finishes sixth in America's Got Talent - BBC News
Courtney Hadwin wowed judges with her dynamic performances of rock 'n' roll classics.
Courtney was the favourite heading into the finals

British teenager Courtney Hadwin has finished in sixth place in the final of America's Got Talent.

The 14-year-old from Hesleden, County Durham, was among the favourites to win the $1m (£760,000) prize on Wednesday.

She wowed the judges and viewers with energetic and mature covers of rock 'n' roll classics by Tina Turner, James Brown and Steppenwolf.

Host Tyra Banks told Hadwin she was proud and said she had "made it" for making it to the final 10.

Later on, it was Canadian-American magician Shin Lim that was crowned the winner of the talent show.

Hadwin performed Tina Turner's 1988 classic River Deep, Mountain High on Tuesday in the first of the two-part finale.

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Following the performance, judge Howie Mandel said: "You are on fire, you're amazing. I love everything about you. We are watching a superstar in the making right here on America's Got Talent."

Earlier in the series, Mandel used his golden buzzer to send the 14-year-old straight through to the quarter finals.

Fellow judge Simon Cowell commented that Hadwin was more than just a singer, saying: "Every time you perform, you inspire people, you are more than a great singer, you are a trendsetter."

Courtney competed last year in the UK's The Voice Kids, where she got through to the live finals after being tutored by McFly's Danny Jones.

Courtney was just 13 years old when she first took to the AGT stage

According to Courtney's grandfather, the singer, who busked on the streets of London and New York to fund singing lessons, chose to enter America's Got Talent instead of the British version.

Speaking to the MailOnline, Tom Storey said the UK "doesn't get her", adding that the family was "confident she will do well in the US".

Courtney and her family have been proved right. In the semi-finals, Hadwin performed a cover of Steppenwolf's 1968 hit Born To Be Wild and was described as a "bundle of excitement" by Cowell.

The music mogul told her: "You were born to be wild - this was wild! You were amazing. My prediction is you're going to be the winner."

Courtney was just 13 when she performed in the first round of America's Got Talent. Before Tuesday's performance, she thanked fans on social media, saying she had had "an amazing time".

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During the contest, she also performed songs including James Brown's Papa's Got A Brand New Bag and Otis Redding's Hard To Handle, leading Howie Mandel to compare her to a young Janis Joplin.

Cowell also said that even if she didn't win, he would sign her to a record deal, so this may not be the last the public hears from the teen.

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