Rosita Vai New Zealand's new Idol

Rosita Vai

Auckland's Rosita Vai overcame a turbulent weekend to be crowned the new New Zealand Idol tonight.

Before an audience of screaming fans at Television New Zealand's studio in Henderson, Vai accepted her win calmly, not even shedding a tear.

The Idol crown is a dream come true for Vai, who will have the chance to record an album with label Sony BMG.

There had been speculation Vai would cross the finish line first on the back of sympathy votes after Sir Howard Morrison's "too fat for entertainment" comments last weekend.

Vai overcame the pressure to deliver on Sunday, and the voters responded.

Last night was the culmination of months of hard work and constant challenges for Vai and fellow finalist Nik Carlson, from Masterton.

On Sunday Vai and Carlson presented viewers with a dilemma by delivering three faultless performances, including their separate renditions of the Idol winner's first single, All I Ask.

Vai also sang Alicia Keys' How Come You Don't Call Me and Jill Scott's Golden, her favourite Idol number so far.

Carlson countered with Luther Vandross' Never Too Much, and turned on his falsetto voice for his repeat of a slowed-down version of I Believe In A Thing Called Love, by The Darkness.