Unsigned artists will vie to perform with Justin Timberlake on the 49th GRAMMY Awards
GRAMMY.com
The Recording Academy announced "My GRAMMY Moment" today as it continues its mission of discovering and nurturing music makers with an historic opportunity for unsigned artists to vie for a performance with Justin Timberlake on the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 11.
Current multi-GRAMMY nominee Timberlake will culminate his recent involvement with the GRAMMY Foundation's music education initiatives by performing live on the GRAMMY Awards in a special segment with the unsigned artist that fans choose online at Yahoo! Music, the official online partner of the GRAMMY Awards. The Top 3 finalists will be eligible to participate in GRAMMY Foundation activities including GRAMMY Career Day and GRAMMY Camp, as well as The Recording Academy's recently launched GRAMMY University Network.
"From successful programs such as GRAMMY Career Day and GRAMMY SoundChecks to newly introduced programs such as GRAMMY Camp and GRAMMY University Network, our Academy and its GRAMMY Foundation have made music education and career enhancement priorities 365 days a year," said Recording Academy President Neil Portnow. "This 'My GRAMMY' segment gives us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate via the telecast another fine example of what we do so well on a daily basis. At the same time it's our goal to bring music fans even closer to the GRAMMYs without affecting the criteria of peer group voting that sets the GRAMMY Awards apart from other music award shows."
"The Internet has revolutionized the way that unknown artists can reveal their talent to a larger audience, and television remains the most powerful platform to showcase such talent to the masses," said Jack Sussman, executive vice president, specials, music and live events, CBS. "By harnessing the accessibility, interactivity and reach of these two mediums, we have created an unprecedented opportunity for an up-and-coming musician, as well as a memorable and exciting moment for television audiences. The GRAMMY Awards have always been ahead of the game when it comes to discovering and spotlighting new talent and music, and this event takes that commitment to even greater heights."
"I'm happy to participate in this unique approach to discovering unsigned talent, but I'm only a piece of the puzzle," said Justin Timberlake. "All of you contestants out there should look at this as more than just a chance to duet with me, because it's really an opportunity to begin your career as a superstar. And I'll be there to help coach you along."
"The GRAMMY Awards telecast is known for introducing a remarkable number of talented artists to the broad audience that follows our show from year to year. Many of these artists, from Ricky Martin and Robert Randolph to Norah Jones and John Legend, have gone on to extremely successful careers due in no small part to their GRAMMY appearances," said co-executive producer (with John Cossette) Ken Ehrlich. "With this concept, we will be able to continue that tradition and reach out even further to the incredibly diverse musical community that watches the GRAMMYs."
"Yahoo! Music has always focused on supporting and cultivating new musical talent through original programming," said Dave Goldberg, vice president and general manager of Yahoo! Music. "'My GRAMMY Moment' is the progression of our commitment to providing users with the premiere online music venue for new and established artists."
For more details on submission information, please click here.
The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Feb. 11 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Performers and presenters for the telecast will be announced in the following weeks.
