Katherine Jenkins OBE (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh singer. She is a mezzo-soprano who performs operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.[1][2][3] After winning singing competitions in her youth, Jenkins studied at the Royal Academy of Music, modelled, and taught voice lessons. She came to wide public attention in 2003 when she sang at Westminster Cathedral in honour of Pope John Paul II's silver jubilee. Since 2004, she has released numerous albums that have performed well on British and foreign charts. In both 2005 and 2006, her albums received Classic Brit Awards as Album of the Year. She has been seen widely in concert and has performed for British Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. She has sung at sporting events and in support of many charities.