Jersey has found its first 'Contemporary Musician of the Year'

17-year-old drummer Matt Jackson is the first winner of the title 'Contemporary Musician of the Year'.

17-year-old Matt showed his talent on the night by performing three pieces in genres ranging from jazz fusion, Brazilian heavy metal and gospel.

He performed the gospel piece with a live band - something that all the contestants had to do.

Matt competed against finalists who performed vocals, keyboard, and guitar.

He told Channel 103 about the night:

"It was such a positive experience. You have a new competition made to help the ever-evolving music industry. 

"The JMS service was so supportive in every aspect - organising, telling us what we needed to bring and have. It made the experience flow really well.

"In Jersey, there aren't a lot of things to compete in like this, so when these opportunities come around, you have to seize them."

"I was a little nervous beforehand. 

My first piece was a jazz fusion piece written by a German drummer called Anika Nilles. It was really technical and was a lot to think about. 

The second piece- the heavy metal was really physical and full on, by the end of it I was completely out of breath, I can't believe people do hour-long sets of that type of music. 

"The third song I did was a gospel track by CeCe Winans.

"Each contestant had to perform a song with a live band made up of teachers of the Jersey Music Service. 

"I played well on the night, thankfully, which helped me secure the win."

Matt has been accepted into the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which boasts an impressive alumni including Quincy Jones, Charlie Puth, Steven Tyler and John Mayer. 

"It's where a lot of the greatest drummers who are alive now and lived in the past studied.

"I wasn't expecting to get in, and then I got in.

"Currently, it's me looking all over the place for financial help to get me there for September."

Matt has an Instagram account where he has already built an impressive following through covers and music challenges. It can be found here.

You can find Matt on Instagram, where he posts covers and music challenges.

The Jersey Musician of the Year is the first competition of its kind in Jersey, and wants to be the contemporary answer to the prestigious orchestral competition 'Jersey Young Musician of the Year.'

READ: The first 'Jersey Contemporary Musician' will be crowned this weekend

Laura Kilianczyk, Benjamin Wilson, Alexander Turpin were all winners of their instruments, and made it to the final .

Dr Graham Cox,  Principal of Jersey Music Service, says this is the first of its kind.

"The idea behind this was to allow young contemporary musicians to show off their skills in a way that they don't normally get.

"These young people very often learnt their skills in a different way, copying and developing their own skill set.

"We're hoping that this competition provides a large amount of kudos for these musicians."