Tokio Myers, a talented pianist who fuses classical music with modern hits, has been crowned the winner of Britain’s Got Talent.
He beat out other fan favorites, including young magician Issy Simpson and comedian Daliso Chaponda.
Myers earned a performance at the Royal Variety Performance as well as $250,000 in prize money.
It wasn’t an easy road to victory, as Tokio grew up in a rough part of London surrounded by violent crime. He even witnessed a murder at the young age of 11.
In an interview with The Sun, Tokio said that music kept him out of trouble:
“Music and having that thing kept me out of a lot of trouble. I could have probably ended up in gangs, or been dead or in jail or whatever.”
He would sneak into the Royal College of Music to watch rehearsals, even taking a crack at playing when no one was watching.
Myers feels lucky that he had something to channel his time and energy into while all the negativity in his life swirled around him.
“Looking at the people I grew up around, I’ve had people I went to school with who are no longer here today because they’re either literally dead or in jail. It’s still going on.”
Now, Myers is the well-deserved winner of the show. We’re sure that we’ll be seeing and listening to Myers for years to come.
See below for a recap of all of the performances that led to his victory.
The Audition
“You can tell he’s nervous,” Tokio’s friends whispered in the crowd. As the 32-year-old Britain’s Got Talent entered the stage, he nervously introduced himself. The judges didn’t seem impressed until he put his fingers to the piano keys.
In the pre-audition interview, Tokio said that all he wanted was “one yes” and that “it would be life changing.” After hearing his amazing blend of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune” and Ed Sheeran’s “Bloodstream,” the judges gave him four.
The Semi-Final
Mr. Morgan, Myers’ music teacher surprised him at this performance. Tokio accredits a lot of his inspiration to a Mr. Morgan, a music teacher at his school, who encouraged his music talents earlier on.
In this performance, Myers performed a mash-up of a classical piece and Kanye West song. The performance again wowed the judges and the audience.
All four judges gave him a standing ovation. Watch to find out why.
The Final
Myers was again brilliant in his performance for the final round of the show. Myers is so special because he couples his classically trained, technical prowess, with a creative approach to mixing the old with the new.
Prior to his final performance, Myers said that he would love to collaborate with other artists, including Ed Sheeran. We can’t wait to hear what else he has in store.
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