China’s Lydia Gilman wins Maine’s Got Talent competition

Lydia Gilman, 16, of China, performs at the Maine’s Got Talent competition, in Lewiston, on March 9. Lydia won the competition. (Photo by EM. Images, photographer, Erik Peterson)

Lydia Gilman, 16, an Erskine Academy junior, from China, took home first prize at the 2019 Maine’s Got Talent competition. Maine’s Got Talent is a dynamic musical competition featuring the selected top 10 performing artists in Maine for the show. The top three winners of Maine’s Got Talent receive cash prizes of: $750 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place. The event was held at the Gendro Franco Center, in Lewiston, on March 9, 2019.

Lydia sang, If I Ain’t Got You Babe, in the styles of Alicia Keys and brought the house down. The second place award went to Jaycen Daigle, of Eliot, performing an original composition (both singing and playing guitar). The third place award went to Tessa Walker, of Portland, who sang You Make Me Feel A Natural Woman, in the style of Aretha Franklin.

There was a panel of celebrity judges for the event. The judges were: Tom Doucette, (a former Maine’s Got Talent participant), Celeste from WBLM, and Joe Phillipon, of the Lewiston Police Department. The final results included the judges’ voting along with audience participation. Molly McGill was the emcee for the competition.

This event is a fundraiser for Sandcastle Clinical & Educational Services, a private, nonprofit agency established in 1996, that provides quality services for children with special needs and those at risk for developmental issues. This is the 8th Annual Maine’s Got Talent competition for Sandcastle and its largest fundraiser for the year.

Lydia is the daughter of Lance and April Gilman, and granddaughter of Judi Gilman, of China.