The three finalists for THON’s Got Talent competition got their chance to win over the THON crowd tonight, as each received the chance to perform a short set to showcase their talent.

The crowd got to vote for their favorite via text, and spoken word artist David Gaines came out on top.

Gaines came up in the middle in the lineup. He started off his set by getting the crowd pumped with a “We Are” chant and explained what spoken word artistry is. After the chant, the spoken word artist dove right into the first poem. Gaines then shared his story of losing his sister, Angel, and dedicated his second performance to those who lost someone dear to them. The final one, entitled “Four Diamonds,” was a powerful poem describing THON. All three poems Gaines performed showed his vulnerability and passion for his art, while vocally engaging the crowd to hang on his every word.

Poet David Gaines: “Throw your diamonds up high. Let them shine in the sky. Let them shine in your lives and illuminate the world wide.”

— THONward State (@THONwardState) February 21, 2015

That doesn’t mean Gaines wasn’t in good company, however, as the other two acts’ performances made it a close competition.

First up, Club Croquet kicked off its set with “Yellow” by Coldplay to win the hearts of the crowd. The five-piece band made good use of its two lead vocalists, as their voices blended together well. The second and final song, a cover of “Steal My Girl” by One Direction, got the crowd to sway their hands back and forth and provided a nice close to the short set.

Finishing off the competition, Shawn Fox got the crowd involved right off the bat by clapping along to his cover of “I Lived” by OneRepublic. Though he had a minor technical difficulty as he began his set, the crowd loved his rendition of the current single from OneRepublic. Fox seemed comfortable on the stage, naturally engaging the crowd without missing a beat. Fox dedicated the second song, “Home” by former American Idol winner Phillip Phillips, to everyone involved in THON.

Photo: Alex Bauer