RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) --
Leah Mason, a senior at Green Hope High School in Cary, was one of the two silver ticket winners from the Crabtree Valley Mall ABC11 Idol auditions in the fall of 2017.
That ticket earned Leah a quick pass of sorts with other silver ticket winners from across the country to sing in front of show producers in Nashville. Leah was the first to enter the room. She sang 'Tennessee Whiskey.' This song earned her a win in Raleigh.
American Idol's season 16 premiere is Sunday, March 11 at 8 p.m. on ABC11. The show has launched careers of many contestants including several big names from North Carolina like Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler, Clay Aiken, and Fantasia Barrino to name a few.
Read the whole story on ABC 11.