Karaoke World Championships


Originating in Finland in 2003 with 7 countries, the Karaoke World Championships are an international karaoke competition, featuring approximately 30 countries worldwide.
National trials are conducted in each participating country every year with the winners competing in the international finals for the titles of male & female Karaoke World Champions. The 2016 competition introduced the Duet category and in 2018 gender categories were removed. Extra categories in KWC have included KWC Juniors and Champions Round. Finland was the host country for the international finals from 2003 until 2005. In 2006, the finals were held aboard the M/S Galaxy whilst cruising the Baltic Sea from Helsinki to Estonia return. Thailand was the first country to host the finals outside of Finland in September, 2007. In 2008, the event returned to Finland, and was twice consecutively in Lahti Hall.
In December 2005, the top 5 male & female champions of that year were invited to perform for the Princess of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand in the 'KWC Lights Up The Night' tsunami fundraising concert. The black tie concert was televised throughout Thailand and raised money for the 2004 tsunami victims.
On April 6, 2007, Finnish National Karaoke World Champion 2005 & 3rd place Karaoke World Champion 2005, Ari Koivunen, Idols, the Finnish version of the UK hit, Pop Idol.
The 2010 World Championships took place in Moscow, Russia between 23 September and 25 September at Forum Center.
The 2011 World Championships took place in Killarney, Ireland between 8 September and 10 September at INEC, Gleneagle.
The 2012 World Championships took place in Lappeeranta, Finland between 28 November and 1 December at Holiday Club Saimaa
The 2013 World Championships took place in Lappeeranta, Finland between 21 November and 23 November at Holiday Club Saimaa
The 2014 World Championships took place in Stockholm, Sweden between 13 November and 15 November at Solidaritet Arena
The 2015 World Championships took place in Singapore between 20 November and 22 November at the Boutique on Orchard Road with a record number of 31 countries participating.
The 2016 World Championships took place in Vancouver, Canada between 1 November and 6 November at Edgewater Casino
The 2017 World Championships took place in Helsinki, Finland between 14 November and 18 November at Telakka Pavilion.
The 2018 World Championships took place in Helsinki, Finland between 19 December and 21 December at Apollo.
The 2019 World Championships took place in Tokyo, Japan between 27 November and 29 November at Kanda Myoujin Shrine Hall.
The 2020 World Championships will be an online competition due to the pandemic and will be held between 2 November and 7 November.

Participating Countries

2018 Main category
1st Mikko Blaze Bordeaux, USA
2nd Karol Wilson, Panamá
3rd Lascel Wood, UK
2018 Duos
1st Tea Repo & Jyri Paavilainen, Finland
2nd Karol Wilson & Eliezer Berroa, Panamá
3rd Mel Arizpe & Laura Carrizales, USA
2018 Champions Round
1st Toni K. Laaksonen, Finland
2nd Jenni Taari, Finland
3rd Chyeé Howell, USA

2016 Male
1st Ryota Kaizo, Japan
2nd Gabriel Much, USA
3rd Marc Motzer, Germany
2016 Female
1st Astrid Nicole, Panama
2nd Laura Moreau, USA
3rd Bruna Higashi, Brazil
2016 Duos
1st Konomi Rivers & Lance Moore, USA
2nd Astrid Nicole & Hiram Harris, Panama
3rd Heidi Joshua & Roger Feng, Canada

2014 Male
1st Anthony Montius Magee, USA
2nd Mitchell Freeman, Canada
3rd Kamsani Jumahat, Singapore
2014 Female
1st Diana Villamonte, Panama
2nd Miriam Kim, USA
3rd Monika Nike Adiba, Indonesia

2012 Male
1st Luis Boutin, Panama
2nd Ville Pyykönen, Finland
3rd Cornelius Andrews, USA
2012 Female
1st Raquel Pando, Spain
2nd Candice Skjonnemand, Australia
3rd Lilibeth Garcia, Philippines

2011 Male
1st Marc Hatem, Lebanon
2nd Joel Cruz, Philippines
3rd Vladimir Pak, Russia
2011 Female
1st Cassandra Jopp, USA
2nd Estefania Gralla, Spain
3rd Jerrica Santos, Canada

2010 Male
1st Sam Moudden, Finland
2nd Fedor Rytikov, Russia
3rd Georg Duschlbauer, Austria
2010 Female
1st Maria Saarimaa-Ylitalo, Finland
2nd Julia Kurileva, Russia
3rd Tami Marie, USA

2009 Male
1st Adrian Kenny, Ireland
2nd Sami Muhonen, Finland
3rd Elie-Georges Hatem, Lebanon
2009 Female
1st Nataliya Pilyutina, Russia
2nd Dina David, Australia
3rd Jenni Roth, Finland

2008 Male
1st Michael Bates, Australia
2nd Anthony Garcia, United Kingdom
3rd Medhanie Mezgebe, Sweden
2008 Female
1st Julie Gonnet, France
2nd Elaine O'Halloran, Ireland
3rd Jasmine Kara, Sweden

2007 Male
1st Lu Hee Wah, Malaysia
2nd Michael Moses Griffin, USA
3rd David Naughton, Ireland
4th Juha Karvonen, Finland
5th Gabor Erdélyi, Hungary
2007 Female
1st Julie Walter-Sgro, Australia
2nd Vanessa Cooney, Ireland
3rd Gabriella Lukács, Hungary
4th Tina Fischer, Sweden
5th Corina Susanna Mitchell, Austria

2006 Male
1st Mark Wilson, Australia
2nd David September, South-Africa
3rd Badri Ibrahim, Malaysia
4th Patcharaphol Atipremanon, Thailand
5th Harry Ross, Germany
2006 Female
1st Tham Hui Chyi, Malaysia
2nd Yao Dan, China
3rd Veronica Konnova, Russia
4th Helena Virt, Estonia
5th Michele Lynch, Ireland

2005 Male
1st Iyad Sfeir, Lebanon
2nd Danny Cummins, Ireland
3rd Ari Koivunen, Finland
4th Timothy Duff Morrison, USA
5th Paolo Verdade, Portugal
2005 Female
1st Rachel Browne, Ireland
2nd Saisunee Sukhakrit, Thailand
3rd Isabel Viana, Portugal
4th Maria Saarimaa, Finland
5th Kelee Buswell, Australia

2004 Male
1st Thomas Strübler, Austria
2nd Robin Berg, Finland
3rd Bret Harmon, USA
4th Sami Gabriel, Lebanon
5th Sami Muhonen, Finland
2004 Female
1st Samantha Sayegh, Lebanon
2nd Shirley Lowther, Ireland
3rd Cathrine Hovland, Norway
4th Ann Wikström, Finland
5th Marianne Furberg, Norway

2003 Male
1st Uche Eke, England
2nd Olli-Pekka Junttila, Finland
3rd Jan-Mikael Pennanen, Finland
4th Jorn Grepperud, Norway
5th Alex Styrna, Poland
2003 Female
1st Danni Cadby, England
2nd Säde Hovisilta, Finland
3rd Christine Aas-Hals, Norway
4th Noora Lehtinen, Finland
5th Susanna Gärdström, Finland