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We very rarely cover battle-of-the-band type things on this blog, as by and large they're pointless endeavours with no lasting impact. However, there's a north Wales singer up for an award this weekend who may buck the trend.

Katie Benbow

The final takes place this Saturday at one of the venues at the O2 arena in London. Dyserth's Katie Benbow, 17, is in the running after making it through a series of regional and area heats.

Lori Foster, Press and Development Manager for Open Mic UK said: "It's a fantastic achievement to make it to the Grand Final and the best unsigned acts in the country are now getting set to perform at one of the best live music venues in the world - the O2 in London.

"They'll be showcasing their music to lots of industry representatives and the media which isn't something you get to do every day. There are some fantastic judges on board and a vast prize pool so it really is all to play for. I'm excited to see what the acts can do on the day."

Benbow and the other finalists are in the running for various prizes including a recording contract, national tours, studio time, master classes and a music video. The judges include Radio 1's Ras Kwame, soul singer Shola Ama, BMG's Michael King and none other than Another Level's Dane Bowers.

Pop singer Benbow said; "My song is called Possessed and it's about the peer pressure of drug taking, weight issues, drinking, sex and all the things teenagers are under pressure to do. I'm really excited about this weekend and feel really lucky to have got this far. I just hope I do well."

Talking to the 's Angela Brooks, she said: "[This] could be life-changing for me.

"My dancer Jordan is amazing and has helped to make my performance more dramatic. He produced the music for the song Possessed, which got me into the final.