TV, eh?

From a media release:

Who will be The Next Star? Season 2 of YTV’s hit talent series premieres Friday, July 17 at 6 p.m. ET/PT

• Adamo Ruggiero returns as host, with Suzie McNeil, Christopher Ward and Steve Cranwell returning as judges

Corus Entertainment’s YTV announced today that the second season of its popular top-rated talent series The Next Star is scheduled to premiere on Friday, July 17 at 6 p.m. After an action-packed cross-Canada search where thousands of talented Canadian kids showed up to auditions, viewers at home can now join in on the fun to watch the journey unfold from the audition process to the final winner.

Produced by leading Toronto distributor and producer Tricon Films and Television in association with YTV, the first three episodes feature young hopefuls (aged 15 and under) from across the country as they audition to make it to the next round. Sixteen singers will continue to participate in episodes four and five, with six finalists chosen to be mentored throughout the remaining seven episodes. These episodes will be filled with special guest stars, and new this year, a live studio audience for each performance. Only one finalist will become The Next Star and receive the grand prize package at the series’ finale on Sunday, September 27 at 7 p.m. live from Canada’s Wonderland in Toronto.

The six featured performers will receive guidance from a panel of industry professionals on how to tackle the music industry as they are challenged in every aspect of the biz – from vocal exercises to participating in media interviews to perfecting a signature look. The question will be: who can master all facets of being a true star?

Modelled after Season 1, viewers at home will vote for their favourite performer via www.YTV.com and text message. The finalist with the most viewer votes will take home the title as The Next Star and receive the grand prize package valued at over $35,000 CDN.

The star-studded package includes: Studio time at Metalworks Studios, where Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera and Prince have recorded, a distribution deal with Universal Music Canada of the winner’s songs, a Canadian Music Week showcase where they will debut new songs for industry movers and shakers, as well as a J-45 Standard Acoustic Guitar and an Epiphone Valve Jr. Combo Amp from Gibson Guitar.

The excitement won’t stop there as YTV is giving fans a chance to be crowned The Virtual Next Star. Beginning on Friday, July 17 through to Wednesday, August 5, eligible participants can log onto www.ytv.com/programming/nextstar/ for a chance to be crowned The Virtual Next Star and win a trip to Toronto and two VIP tickets to the series’ live finale at Canada’s Wonderland in September. The prize includes: one round trip economy flight to Toronto for the winner and a parent or guardian, three nights standard accommodation and $500 CDN.

Once the series has launched on Friday, July 17 at 6 p.m., The Next Star website, found at www.YTV.com, will be centre stage for audience interaction, streaming video and the voting process. Viewers will be encouraged to visit the site to vote for their favourite finalist, find show info, surf finalist pages, download extra content and watch behind the scenes footage. Viewers can also join the community of fans through The Next Star message boards and sign up to receive a The Next Star newsletter which will feature breaking news and show developments.

About the mentors:

Suzie McNeil is a JUNO Award nominated artist whose single “Let’s Go” is the theme song for The Next Star. Her single “SuperGirl” is currently a top ten hit. Christopher Ward is Canada’s first VJ, a MuchMusic veteran and writer of Alannah Myles’ hit single “Black Velvet.” Music industry exec Steve Cranwell has an extensive background in music marketing as the former Senior Vice President of Marketing at Universal Music Canada.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 8:55 am and is filed under The Next Star. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.