They sang, they danced, they conquered: Winners at Flagler’s Spotlight on Youth

Judges award ‘goosebump-worthy’ performances at 2026 talent show.

  • By Abe Mills
  • | 3:38 p.m. May 29, 2026
  • Palm Coast Observer
  • Schools
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Singers dominated the competition at the Spotlight on Flagler Youth Talent Show, with K’Imani Girven McCoy taking home top honors as the Entertainer of the Year in the Senior Division. The event, put on by the Flagler County Youth Center, featured 23 performers on May 28, at The Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center.

McCoy’s emotional rendition of Beyonce’s “Listen” elicited cheers from the audience and won over the judges. Brianna Fune and Sophia Page placed second and third place in the Senior division with their performances. 

Emma Duncan won Entertainer of the Year in the Middle Division. Her sister, Sara Duncan, earned second place in the Elementary Division. 

“We love singing together,” Emma said. “Our practices are mostly just singing random songs around the house together.”  

Laurel Duffy won Entertainer of the Year in the Elementary Division with her version of the “Defying Gravity” from the popular musical, “Wicked.” Aniah Furtado took third and performed a dance routine to the song “Gnarly,” by KATSEYE. She was the only placer in the competition who wasn’t singing. 

Judges consider talent, stage presence, and overall performance experience, according to judge Christy Butler, who has been a judge at the competition for multiple years. “Judging this competition is never easy, but this year was incredibly hard.” One criterion for her judging, she said, is that the performance gives her goosebumps.

Cheryl Massaro echoed those sentiments and was especially impressed with this year’s Senior division. “There was not a bad performance amongst them,” she said. 


2026 Top Performers

Junior Division

1st: Laurel Duffy: “Defying Gravity” by Cynthia Erivo featuring Ariana Grande, from the motion picture “Wicked”

2nd: Sara Duncan: “Don’t Rain on My Parade” by Barbara Streisand, from the musical “Funny Girl”

3rd: Aniah Furtado: Dance Routine to “Gnarly” by KATSEYE


Middle Division 

1st: Emma Duncan: “They Just Keep Moving the Line” by the cast of “SMASH”

2nd: Anniston Goetsch: “In My Dreams” by Christy Altomare from “Anastasia the Musical”

3rd: Aliyah Coito: “Roses” by Jenna Raine


Senior Division

1st: K'imani Gervin McCoy: “Listen” by Beyonce

2nd: Briana Fune: “Break It to Me Gently” by Brenda Lee

3rd: Sophia Paige: “All I Ask” by Adele

 

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