Unsigned singer Ebony Day wins MTV title

Ebony Day (DawBell/PA)

An unsigned singer who turned to music after being confined to her home as a result of food allergies has triumphed in MTV's search for this year's next big thing.

Ebony Day, 19, has beaten artists backed by major labels to land the annual MTV Brand New title after triumphing in a public vote.

Day was forced to miss a lengthy period of school after being diagnosed with her allergies four years ago and began to play guitar and sing. She went on to write her own songs, as well as performing covers, uploading them to YouTube where she built a large fanbase, to the extent that her videos have had more than 19 million views.

Day - the first unsigned act to win - received two-fifths of the entire vote from the 10-strong shortlist. Her win means she will feature across MTV's output.

She said: "I'm so overwhelmed that my fans have made this win possible for me. It's all down to their ongoing support and hard work that I have won. This is a dream come true for me, I've never been happier."

Last year's winner was Conor Maynard.

PA