From left, Mark Sutton, Caine D'Onofrio, Justine Blazer, Rick Jacoby, Kerry Adams.

courtesy of Justine Blazer

Justine Blazer, a former resident of Ann Arbor and a rising country-music performer, has won the Battle of the Bands contest sponsored by Dodge Ram trucks to find a new country star.

As one of two finalists, Blazer was flown to Texas to perform over the weekend.

Blazer had entered her song "New Country Beat" in the contest. Fan voting put her entry in the top 10, and Dodge chose her as one of two finalists.

As the ultimate winner, Blazer receives $5,000. Dodge has also invited her to do a show in Las Vegas, and other events and promotions are likely.

A former resident of Ann Arbor who was a student at Washtenaw Community College and Eastern Michigan University, Blazer now lives in Clarkston but also spends a lot of time in Nashville.