ABC TALENT AND CASTING ANNOUNCE THE 2017 ABC DISCOVERS: DIGITAL TALENT COMPETITION U.S. WINNER

Winner Reaction Video

ABC Talent and Casting today announced Sabrina Texidor, originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, as the 2017 winner of the ABC Discovers: Digital Talent Competition in the U.S. The announcement follows a contest that garnered submissions from actors across the United States. Visit ABCDiscovers.com to view Sabrina's reaction to the news and an excerpt from her digital submission, as well as the other nine finalists.

Ayo Davis, senior vice president, Talent and Casting, said, "This competition showcases so many unique and special performances that it's always difficult to decide on just one winner. In Sabrina we saw an energy and exuberance that shines through and is absolutely infectious. We can't wait to see what she'll be able to accomplish as part of the ABC family."

Texidor, who was celebrating her birthday in South Africa when she got the call that she was a finalist, said, "Best birthday present ever! I've been auditioning for years, so I've gotten used to a lot of people saying no. I can't explain what it felt like to find out I was a finalist. And to have won - it is overwhelming on so many levels. I'm ecstatic, incredibly grateful and can't wait to get started."

Other finalists include: Lauren Gaw (originally from Houston, Texas), Elise Sievert Bhushan (originally from Lincoln, Nebraska), Elvira Troger (originally from Falun, Sweden), Maria May (originally from Barcelona, Spain), Luis Alves (originally from Rotterdam, Netherlands), Joshua Goodridge (from Orlando, Florida); Knakeera Bason (from Fort Lauderdale, Florida); Hunter Doohan (originally from Fort Smith, Arkansas); and Jana Nawartschi (originally from Bielefeld, Germany).

Also, for the first time this year, an ABC Discovers: Digital Talent Competition took place in the U.K. Those winners can be found here: ABCDiscoversUK.com.

To enter, actors were asked to create a video performing one of the comedy or drama scenes posted on the website and were judged on quality of performance, potential star power and technical skill set. The grand prize is a one year $25,000 talent deal with ABC.

The Digital Talent Competition is part of ABC Discovers, a series of initiatives that includes the annual New York and Los Angeles Talent Showcases, Actor Audition Workshop Week, Latino/Hispanic Outreach, Asian/Pacific Islander Outreach and Global Talent Outreach. Last year's winner, Beth Triffon, has had guest roles on "The Middle" and "Dr. Ken," and will be seen this fall in the ABC drama "Ten Days in the Valley," starring Kyra Sedgwick. The 2014 Digital Talent Competition winner, Cornelius Smith Jr., is a series regular on the hit drama "Scandal," and 2015 winner Samuel Adegoke has had numerous recurring roles on series including "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" and "Switched at Birth."