UPDATED 10.30am: The family of Tauranga's sole New Zealand's Got Talent semi-finalist is making a final appeal to the community to support the local singer and help vote her into the show's final.

Tauranga Girls' College student Calista represented the region as a semi-finalist in the nationwide talent show last night, singing Christina Aguilera's 'The Voice Within'.

Calista is vying for a spot in the NZGT final.

The 14-year-old, who wishes to be named only as Calista, is happy with her performance and is today back at school, trying to keep her mind off the looming voting results.

Her family is hoping the country gets behind her, helping her score one of the top 10 spots in the show's finale.

'I'm really honoured to be representing the Bay of Plenty. It's a nationally-televised competition, which is pretty exciting,” says Calista.

People can vote until midnight tonight by texting 'Calista' to 8981 or voting online.

Calista wowed judges with her audition song ‘It's a Man's World' by James Brown, with judge Jason Kerrison, Opshop's frontman, saying she is one of the best singers he had ever seen, when the show aired on September 23.

Having made it to the semi-finals Calista was initially worried competitiveness of the competition would get between the contestants. But now she says the contestants are 'like a big family”.

'Everyone has been so nice. We're really close now. We cheer for each other and support each other.”

With dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter, Calista plans to use her musical talent to help teenagers through the hard times.

'I want to get messages out there to people, because I've realised I've got this voice and I can use it.

'I know that teenagers all get a pretty tough time. And I've personally been through that kind of stuff.

'I can show that to the world and it could help people.”

Calista hopes people tune into Sunday night's show and vote for her. ‘New Zealand's Got Talent' airs 7.30pm on TV One.