In tonight’s first heat of Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, Ukrainian sand artist Kseniya Simonova won the golden buzzer and place in the grand final of the all-stars competition! She will be looking to finish even higher than her impressive third place achieved in America’s Got Talent: The Champions earlier this year.
A message of strength and hope
In her performance dedicated to children suffering with long-term illness, Kseniya performed a message of hope with her sand art that brought judge Amanda Holden to tears. The performance was soundtracked by “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, which was the perfect accompaniment to Kseniya’s message of strength.
So impressed by Kseniya’s “astonishing” sand art, Amanda pressed her golden buzzer to award
From Got Talent to Eurovision
Simonova rose to fame in 2009, winning Ukraine’s Got Talent and the videos of her performances became an online sensation. In 2011, she reached an international television audience via the Eurovision Song Contest. The use of her sand art within the performance of the Ukrainian entry that year is considered a key reason for her nation’s top 5 finish in Düsseldorf.
America’s Got Talent: The Champions
Earlier this year, the American branch of “Got Talent” launched a spin-off series entitled “The Champions”. A mixture of the most talented acts from “Got Talent” series all over the world combined to take part in one competition. Kseniya achieved third place in “The Champions”, the highest-placed European contestant and the highest-placed contestant from outside the American continent. Simon Cowell called her performance one of the most beautiful he’s “ever seen”.
Simonova returned to the Eurovision stage for a second time in Tel Aviv, contributing her sand art to Anna Odobescu’s performance of “Stay” for Moldova. Simonova once again earned praise from fans for her work.
