The BBC’s annual Sound Of poll has announced its winner for 2018: 21-year-old Norwegian pop star Sigrid.

With her heartfelt, earnest voice and anthemic electro-pop production, the singer broke through with her debut single Don’t Kill My Vibe, released in Feburary 2017, and followed it up with Strangers in November – both were critically acclaimed, though she is yet to reach the Top 40. She also performed at 2017’s Nobel peace prize concert, and contributed the song Everybody Knows to the soundtrack of superhero movie Justice League.

The poll is voted for by around 170 insider figures across the music industry and the media, who are asked to name their three favourite new acts who haven’t yet had a Top 10 hit. Sigrid said winning was “crazy … I’m just really happy and proud of what my team and I have achieved together”.

The runner up is Rex Orange County, aka Hampshire-raised songwriter Alex O’Connell, whose breezy, rickety mix of R&B and guitar pop has already earned him guest spots with US rapper Tyler, the Creator.

Also in the top five are female Manchester MC IAMDDB, picked by the Guardian as one of the 40 most exciting new artists this year; 19-year-old US pop star Khalid, who has already reached the Top 20 and has guested on hits with Calvin Harris, Logic and Marshmello; and British quartet Pale Waves, one of only two bands in the 16-strong longlist.

Sigrid added that she was “honoured as there are so many other artists I look up to who have won this before me”. Previous winners include Adele, Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding. However it has become a slightly less reliable predictor of success recently, with the last two years’ winners, Jack Garratt and Ray BLK, failing to score major hits.