Team KWCUSA Clinches World Title and 2nd Place at 2014 Karaoke World Championship

STOCKHOLM - Nov. 20, 2014 - PRLog -- Anthony Montius Magee a.k.a. “The Experience” from Little Rock, Arkansas, captured 1st place and the title of Men’s Karaoke World Champion at the 12th annual international competition which was held Nov 13-15, 2014 at Solidaritet Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. He won over the judges and crowd with his voice, emotions, and out-of-the-box stage presence. “It is surreal and overwhelming to be named World Champion” said Magee. “Winning this title is the product of a lot of hard work and means everything to me. I am truly humbled to be the 1st man from the United States to win this prestigious title.”

The KWCUSA Ladies champion Miriam Kim from Murrieta, California gave several memorable show-stopping performances and earned 2nd Place in the ladies division. This is the first time in history that Team KWCUSA has had both singers place Top 5 in the World. Congratulations to Anthony and Miriam!

KWC USA is looking for the next World Champion! The new season kicks off January 1, 2015.  Interested Karaoke Singers, KJs and Venues can stay updated at www.kwcusa.com and by liking the Karaoke World Championships USA Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/karaokeworldchampionshipsUSA

Team KWCUSA and the KWC USA 2014 National Finals were sponsored by Party Tyme Karaoke.

Official results of Karaoke World Championships 2014 (courtesy www.karaokeworldchampionships.com)
Ladies
1. Diana Villamonte– Panama
2. Miriam Kim – USA
3. Monika Nike Adiba – Indonesia
4. Shannon Murphy – Ireland
5. Anastasiya Vakhomchyk – Belarus

Men
1. Anthony Montius Magee​ – USA
2. Mitchell Freeman – Canada
3. Kamsani Jumahat – Singapore
4. Jhonny Salamat – Indonesia
5. Hong Chit (Kenny) Ng – Macau

About KWC
The Karaoke World Championships (KWC) is the largest and most prestigious karaoke competition in the world. This multi-cultural international music event permeates the spirit of music, entertainment and fun. Amateur singers from 22 countries competed at this year’s event in Stockholm, Sweden.

About Team KWCUSA
Magee and Kim qualified for the KWC event at the KWC USA Nationals Finals, which was held at The Live Oak Music Hall in Fort Worth, Texas on Oct 9-11, 2014. There were 55 contestants from 14 states ranging from the ages of 18 to 72 who qualified at either local KWC USA competitions or through online entries. Both Magee and Kim placed 2nd Place at the National Finals the prior year (2013).  The KWC USA National Finals were produced by Cindy Bellelli and Erica Lafay (who also hosted the event).

Team KWCUSA Bio’s
Anthony Montius Magee was born in Tacoma, Washington in 1977 while his father was serving in the Air Force.  He started out in the children's church choir, it was then that he realized he had a bad case of stage fright. Later in the 8th grade he joined the school choir. His girlfriend at the time told the director that he could sing so they pulled him in the room and made him audition. Magee ended up playing a pivotal part of the school music department as he played alto saxaphone and tuba, was in the All-Region Choir from grade 8-12, in the All-State from grades 10-12 and Madrigals from grades 10-12.

Magee started singing karaoke when his brother persuaded him into going to a karaoke club to sing for his brother’s friends.

Anthony is a canteen member at VFW Post 9095 and has performed in the last two local Aids Walks.  He has also performed at two Arkansas Travelers minor league baseball games.

“Music is a universal language.  You never know who you touch by the song you sing!”

Miriam Kim has been involved in music most of her life. At the age of 3, she began lessons in violin. At the age of 4, she picked up the piano. At the age of 9, she started learning the flute, and two years later, began the piccolo. She was a member of the local children's choir from the age of 7-11, and ultimately an integral member of her high school's elite choir, the Vocal Ensemble. However, she didn't actively pursue anything further in music after high school. That is, not until she turned 25 and found karaoke.

Over the years, she focused on honing her skills as a competitive vocalist, especially after her very first karaoke competition, where she came in second place in the qualifier, which did not place her in the Grand Finals. She took that loss and used it as fuel to propel her into working harder to better herself. She took her first win at the McAlan's Idol contest in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, which was a 10-week long contest that challenged the singers to attempt songs from different genres. Two years later, she took Law's Idol in Riverside, CA. In 2013, she became Southern California's Karaokefest 2013 Female Vocalist of the Year. During that same year, she won first place at the KWC (Karaoke World Championships) West Regionals, and later that year, she took second place at the KWC Nationals. In January 2014, she entered the World Series of Karaoke and took first place. She has also won the Talent Quest 2014 Regionals in Southern California, and became a semi-finalist at the Nationals at Laughlin in September. Her love for singing and music has taken her to new levels, even giving her the opportunity to sing for charity with the local government officials in the audience. Kim definitely looks forward to many more opportunities that her musical journey may take her on. "Music unites the souls of mankind."