The first season of The X Factor> came to a close on December 22, 2011 when the winner was crowned at the end of a guest singer-packed show. Justin Bieber and Steve Wonder’s performance was the highlight of the finale which also included performances by Leona Lewis, Pitbull & Ne-Yo, 50 Cent, and the Top 12 The X Factor finalists.
But what everyone tuned in to see was whether Josh Krajcik, Chris Rene, or Melanie Amaro would be the first X Factor winner. And after all the votes were counted Rene wound up in third, Krajcik came in second, and Amaro was crowned the winner. Amaro won a $5 million recording contract with Sony Music and the lead in an upcoming Pepsi commercial.
19-year-old Amaro (who was mentored by Simon Cowell) closed out the program with a performance of “Listen” after being named the winner.
If you want to try out for next season’s The X Factor, which likely won’t have Steve Jones on board as the host, visit www.TheXFactorUSA.com. Online auditions are open now through December 31, 2011 at 11:59pm PT.
Source: Fox – December 23, 2011