''Ecstatic'' is how Tai Forrester is feeling after he won the 2014 Songstars original song contest in Queenstown on Saturday night.
The 27-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist was still buzzing and had not slept when the Queenstown Times spoke to him on Sunday afternoon after his victorious night before.
''Nobody's won it all three nights before, so I've got the record and it can't be beat.''
The former Stewart Islander recalled he told himself to be humble and remember to thank the right people when he was announced on stage as the Songstars winner.
''I thanked my mother [Aroha Gibb, of Riverton] and that was a good feeling, to be able to finally give her recognition in front of a lot of people.''
The chance to professionally record the song voted the overall favourite of all three audiences was part of the first prize package.
Songstars band members Diego Vanzella, on bass guitar, and Sam Beach, on drums, have offered to pay their own way to Auckland to play in support, on a date to be confirmed.
''I'm stoked about that because they love the song, and people can tell when they play it,'' Mr Forrester said.
