Indian network Big FM has announced the winner of the fifth season of its on-air singing talent hunt ‘Big Golden Voice’.

Nihar Shembekar, a management graduate from Mumbai, was declared the winner among the 10 finalists who performed live at the grand finale of the contest.

He will now get an opportunity to record a single with a renowned label.

Shembekar has also studied sound recording and already has a Marathi song to his credit along with the popular number 'Udja Kale Kawan' from the Bollywood film Gadar – Ek Prem Katha (2001) – which he sang as a child artist at the age of 11.

The theme for this year’s contest was ‘Folk Recreated’ where participants used folk music of India to re-create their original songs and perform it for the listeners.

30 singers were shortlisted from offline and online auditions and the Top 10 were chosen to enter the finale. Each of them was mentored by renowned singers and music composers such as Kavita Seth, Prajakta Shukre, Aishwarya Majmudar, Shahid Mallya, Shivangi Bhayana, Hamsika Iyer, Vishal Mishra, Digvijay Singh, Harish Moyal and Rupali Moghe.
Ace music director Anu Malik, who also served as the judge, said: “We have discovered great talent through the show and in my opinion, all 10 contestants are winners.”

 Commenting on being titled the winner of Season 5, Nihar Shembekar said: “It feels surreal to have won the title. It has certainly been an experience of a lifetime to have been mentored by some of the most renowned singers in the industry and then to have proved my mettle as a singer on the show.”