America's search for the best Christian vocalist begins!!!
Bay word

Auditions to be held nationwide culminating in televised special hosted by Backstreet Boys’™ Brian Littrell in March.

GIFTED , a nationwide talent search for Christian music’s newest star kicks off January 9 in Phoenix , AZ. The two-month search for the nation’s most gifted vocalist, led by the industry’s biggest names, will make stops in at least 19 cities culminating with a televised special on Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) in March.

Johnny Wright (founder, Wright Entertainment Group), the manager who helped bring Britney Spears, *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and Justin Timberlake to massive international fame, has formed a partnership with Matthew Crouch, founder of the successful independent film company Gener8Xion Entertainment. Together, they’ve formed Wright Gener8Xion Entertainment with the goal of creating pop-positive, family friendly entertainment, concerts and television productions. With the help of concert promotion giant AEG Live, they look forward to bringing GIFTED into households nationwide. The GIFTED project begins with a series of local competitions in January and early February, all held at mega-churches across the United States in such cities as Phoenix, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Hollywood, St. Paul and many more. Competitors 18 and over will be invited to sing a 30-second acappella version of one of ten classic hymns on the available list (see website for details). Local judges will select the best singers and send videotapes of their performances to the producers, who will then select candidates to participate in four regional competitions. From the regional auditions, eight finalists will be picked. Those eight gifted singers will find out that they’ve been selected as a finalist when the producers show up in their hometown and surprise them with their invitation to the finals, which will be held in Los Angeles and televised on TBN.

Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys will host the GIFTED finale. Littrell was on his way to study for the ministry and to becoming a youth pastor when he was recruited as a founding member of the Backstreet Boys, so his return to Christian music is a return to his roots. The winner, who will be named by celebrity judges at the end of the televised show, will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact as a recording artist. The grand prize for the winner of GIFTED includes a major-label recording contract, career management by the Wright Entertainment Group and day-to-day support from Wright Gener8Xion Entertainment. A $10,000 donation will be made to the church where the winner originally auditioned.

Christian communities have long given America great singers, with the list including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Amy Grant, Usher, Brian McKnight, Alicia Keys and Beyonce Knowles. There’s been an explosion in popularity of singers and groups coming out of the Christian music community recently, says McIntyre, citing the popularity of hit Christian rock acts Switchfoot, MercyMe and Casting Crowns and Christian country singer Carrie Underwood.

Johnny Wright’s Wright Entertainment Group is responsible for more than 200 million in album sales while developing the careers of several of the biggest names in modern pop. Wright can be seen weekly on the hit series MTV’s Making the Band 3, where he acts as one of the show’s producers and on-air talent, as well as management for the resulting group. Wright is also currently working with Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell, host of GIFTED, in developing a contemporary Christian music album for the Provident Label Group.

Matthew Crouch’s Gener8Xion Entertainment is an independent feature film and television company widely recognized for its Christian-themed films, among them The Omega Code, Carmen the Champion, and Megiddo (sequel to The Omega Code). Gener8Xion Entertainment first burst onto the scene with 1999’s No. 1 independently produced and distributed film, The Omega Code. Since then, they have been the leader in making films that can be embraced by secular and faith-based audiences. The company’s latest feature, One Night with the King, an epic retelling the Old Testament Book of Esther, is currently in production and will be released in the spring of 2006.

AEG Live ranks among the most successful concert promotion companies in America, working with the biggest international touring acts and selling more than $500 million in tickets last year. Operating with offices from New York to Los Angeles, AEG Live brings top notch acts to audiences across the nation. In addition, AEG Live owns premiere venues like The STAPLES Center and The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The open call date for Tampa, FL has yet to be set, but the audition venue will be Without Walls - 2511 Without Walls International Place - Tampa, FL 33607.

For more information on the show and how YOU can audition, check out the website @ http://www.giftedtalentsearch.com