Malena Kingston is a 19-year-old Cuban-American singer-songwriter from Miami, named by her abuela after the classic tango Malena — a song about a voice that holds both sorrow and beauty. She began singing at her church at six and started street-performing to raise money for college at twelve, becoming the youngest performer ever at BuskerFest Miami. A self-taught guitarist and pianist, she has since performed at Art Basel, Miami Beach festivals, and stages across South Florida, and is a five-time National YoungArts Foundation winner across Pop, Jazz, and Singer-Songwriter categories. Drawing on her Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Irish heritage, Malena is currently a student in Belmont University's Honors Songwriting and Music Business program, where she is studying abroad in Ireland through the university's Honors Program.
All bios appear as they were submitted in the year of scholarship presentation.