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The winners are: France and Australia!

The sixth annual Karaoke World Championship Event has now ended. KWC Organization, Eastway and Lahden Messut hopes that everyone enjoyed the three days of karaoke and togetherness. The international community has crowned a new male and female karaoke champion. Michael Bates of Australia and Juliet Gonnet of France are the reigning karaoke champions succeeding Julie Walter-Sgro of Australia and Lu Hee Wah of Malaysia. The winners receive studio time to record a single and an international recording deal with IVK Music. Immediately after the announcement, Michael and Juliet were both given an mp3 player with a brand new song written especially for each of the winners to record. While Juliet will travel back to Finland to record her song, Michael had 12 hours to learn his.

Karaoke World Champions for 2008: Juliet Gonnet, France and Michael Bates, Australia.

The lavish event was held in the newly built Lahti Hall, a 45,000 sq. ft. convention hall complete with three karaoke restaurants offering various music themes (pop, rock, classic) and languages. Professional bands provided dance music and food and drink was served until the wee hours of the morning. These accoutrements made for the perfect three night party, and the largest celebration of karaoke the world has ever seen.

First runner up in female category is Elaine O'Halloran, Ireland. First runner up in male category is Anthony Garcia, Great Britain.

Second runner ups are Jasmin Kara, Sweden and Medhanie Mezgebe, Sweden.

The grand opening ceremony was officiated by the Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Hitoshi Honda, and featured an award ceremony, performances by the 2007 karaoke champions, and performances by two of Finland’s biggest pop stars; Tomi Markkola and Arja Koriseva. Tomi’s best American equivalent is probably Clay Aiken. Arja, a stunning woman, has 15 albums under her belt, and a long list of television and movie appearances, similar to a Whitney Houston. There were three prestigious awards presented on the night for 5 years of cooperation to KWC Ireland, Mr. Jouko Skinnari and Karaoke Service Finland.

The second night launched the beginning of the karaoke heats. Forty contestants (20 men and 20 women) were randomly separated into two groups, with each group performing two songs. Eighty songs later, and well into the night (about 11pm Finnish time) the top 10 male and female finalists were announced. On the third and final night, the remaining 20 contestants were again divided into two groups to perform two songs, after which the judges announced the top five singers. The remaining ten singers perform one final song after which the top three male and female finalists are announced. The event culminates with the anointing of the new champs in a ceremony that is part American Idol and part Olympics, as the winners are announced by the country that they represent, their flags are draped around them and they sing with all the joy and emotion of any Idol winner.

And thus starts a new Karaoke World Championship year, and a chance for all of those would be karaoke champions, with a glimmer in their eye, and a song in their hearts, to go for the 2009 KWC title.

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