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Returning contestant Amelia Robinson-Burmester, 15, of Woodland, took home the first place prize at the Yolo County Fair Vocal Showcase after wowing judges with her unique sound and songwriting skills.

On Thursday evening, fourteen contestants braved the stage and the triple-digit heat to showcase their vocal chops and compete for a cash prize. With sounds of the fair and scents of corn dogs lingering in the background, singers ranging in ages from 32 to as young as seven belted out songs from multiple different genres in front of a sizable audience filled with cheering family members and friends.

“This [event] gives inspiration and people the opportunity to see how it feels to sing with a band or on stage,” said Entertainment Director Ericka Davis. “There’s just nothing like it and you get addicted really easily.”

In the first round, participants chose country pop power ballads like Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” and “Blown Away” by Carrie Underwood, R&B hits like “Love” by Keyshia Cole, and classics like Tony Bennett’s “I left my Heart in San Francisco” and Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”

Contestants were judged on a variety of criteria, including vocal quality, difficulty of performance, stage presence, song selection and appearance. Shane “Q,” top 10 finalist on Season 17 of NBC’s “The Voice,” and Bobby Rogers, longtime director of music at the Woodland Joint Unified School District and professor of music at Woodland Community College both made their return to judging panel along with new judge Marlene Dolores Rodriguez, Mexican singer-songwriter and lead of her band “Banda La Nueva Villa.”

Davis said she was very excited to welcome Rodriguez, who has been on international television like Telemundo and Univision, to the judging panel.

“We have a lot of Hispanic kids every year, and they need that representation,” Davis said. “I also really wanted to represent females at the fair as much as I could this year too.”

While the judges broke for deliberation following everyone’s performance, last year’s winner Jimena Izquierdo returned to the stage to perform two songs for the audience. Since claiming the top spot last year, Izquierdo has performed the national anthem for the Sacramento River Cats and is currently in the process of recording her first album.

The judges then returned, announcing 14-year-old Katherine Berdovskiy, 16-year-old Laylani Pacheco and Robinson-Burmester as the top three finalists. Last year, Robinson-Burmester also made the top three, just missing out on the top prize and ultimately coming in second. The trio then took the stage one last time to sing a new set of songs.

Following her stunning performance of “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, Berdovskiy exhibited her incredible versatility and range with an upbeat rendition of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. Despite a technical mistake that caused her track to skip during her first performance, Berdovskiy powered through, determined to not let it shake her. Shane “Q” praised her power, tone and control, telling Berdovskiy that she had “everything.”

“There’s a sweetness to you that invites,” Rodriguez said. “It was so beautiful.”

Pacheco wowed judges with her version of “Costumbres” by Pepe Aguilar before serenading the crowd with “Stay” by Rihanna. All of the judges complimented her vibrato and the sweetness of her voice.

“You have a really nice sound and really sweet voice,” Rogers said. “I really think you can sing any style.”

For her first song, Robinson-Burmester captivated the audience with an emotional performance of the popular song “In the Stars” by Benson Boone. Rodriguez praised Robinson-Burmester’s ability to allow her emotion to shine through while Rogers told her she was “doing everything right.”

“That was so cool,” Shane emphasized. “You’ve grown tremendously vocally. That was crazy.”

For her second song, Robinson-Burmester brought out her guitar to sing an original song called “This Time,” which chronicled the process of a breakup.

After a brief discussion, Robinson-Burmester was named the winner, receiving a $300 cash prize and an invitation to sing the national anthem at next year’s demolition derby and the city of Woodland’s Fourth of July fireworks show. Pacheco was runner-up, receiving $150, while Berdovskiy took home $100 for her third-place finish.

“I’m hoping this will inspire them to not just sing in their room and actually try to pursue a career in music because we need kids to get out there and learn instruments and be in music,” Davis said.