The Maltese proved they could strive for the top over the last twelve months. Super successful, here’s a round-up of their biggest moments in 2018!

1. Sarah Zerafa

Insta-QUEEN Sarah Zerafa reached 100K followers earlier in 2018, and, well, we weren’t really surprised. The social media darling is #killingit and totally slaying her influencer role. She even got invited to Elisabetta Franchi’s 20^th anniversary shindig just a few weeks ago! And we were #jealous!

2. Nico Darmanin

This young tenor made his debut with the prestigious UK opera house Glyndebourne, following his fantastic performance at London’s Royal Opera House. He is currently touring with Glyndebourne performing in Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata. As if that wasn’t enough, Nico will be giving a performance in Malta mid-February 2019. He’s definitely making Malta proud!

3. Emma Muscat

A big one is Emma Muscat, whose journey on the hit Italian show, Amici, brought in loads of fans! The young rising star got into the school by challenging a contestant who was no match for her! Emma made it all the way to the semi-finals of the live shows, only to be booted at the end of the night. But, us Maltese are definitely proud of her nonetheless! She then performed at Notte Bianca this year with her Italian beau, Biondo, and believe me, the crowd went WILD.

4. Stephanie Galea

Local photographer guru, Stephanie Galea photographed a fantastic shoot for Vogue Italia recently, and incorporated Maltese boċċi clubs in the mix! Stephanie created the most stunning, vintage-vibing photos with a Maltese twist - and we absolutely LOVED them!

5. Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur

Red Electrick’s keyboardist, Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur, composed a new tune called A Song about Loss which was super well-received. Someone really needs to get this on the next big movie soundtrack! The 19-year-old also hopes to release a new album in very soon. Play on, maestro!

6. Charles and Ron

Local fashion duo, Charles and Ron, had one super successful year! The pair showcased their Fall/Winter ‘Palazzo’ collection towards the end of summer, with the gorgeous St Helen’s Basilica as the backdrop. They also shined at LA’s Fashion Week, making quite the splash in the fashion industry!

7. Beangrowers

The nineties trio band released a new single with the sweetest message this year and the vibe is amazing! The song gives off some much-needed TLC and has been buzzing about ever since its release!

8. Charles Buttigieg

The 19-year-old Gozitan baritone got accepted into the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelpha, USA and has been described as a “rare talent” by the Maltese Tenor, Joseph Calleja himself! Charles gave his first solo performance on the 28 December at the luxurious Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, Gozo. Bravo!

Charles Buttigieg / Facebook

Congrats to all our locals for such a successful year!