A singer from Falmouth will make her main stage debut at one of the UK's biggest music festivals this summer after battling other acts to win an unsigned artists' competition.

Polly Money, 20, who moved from Falmouth when she was 16 to follow her musical dreams, will perform on the biggest stage at the Isle of Wight festival in June, having impressed the organisers with a live performance to be picked from over 3,000 acts.

Polly, who is based in London while her family lives in Falmouth, and who gigs regularly around Cornwall, said: "It was... it is still very overwhelming, and hugely exciting.

"They whittled the bands down to eight places, and we were told there were over 3,000 who applied to play, which is pretty crazy.

The last eight all performed at the Half Moon in Putney, south west London. All the bands had their fans on the night, but the people that Polly really needed to impress with her RnB-tinged guitar pop were the judges, including John Giddings, the man who resurrected the Isle of Wight Festival in 2003.

Polly said: "We each had only ten minutes, which is about three songs, and there were indie bands, rock bands, soulful singer songwriters: quite a few other acts got places at the festival but I managed to win and get main stage."

She added: "It was absolutely insane, I have friends and family when I gig normally... my friends and family went crazy, like watching a football match."

Polly is now in the process of releasing more material, and although previously working as a solo artists she now has a band although that "isn't totally confirmed." She also said she is looking forward to showcasing her new work on a large stage and hopefully winning over a load of new fans.

She said: "There's always nerves, but they are excited nerves now, it's always one of those things.

"When you've been gigging for a certain number of years you get how things work.

"It's a great opportunity, you've just got to go out and give it your best shot."

Ahead of the festival, Polly will be gigging in London and Cornwall, including a launch for her new six track E.P. at Mono in Falmouth on May 11.