Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Music City Madness names Katelyn Jolley winner

CMT announced today that more than four million votes were cast at CMT.com to crown 13-year-old Katelyn Jolley’s “This Game” the winner of MUSIC CITY MADNESS 2, the network’s second annual user-generated talent search. The Utah native is a self-taught musician, who only began playing the guitar in January. This year’s runner-up was Macy VanArnam, a 16-year-old from New York.
“Katelyn’s future in country music is bright, and her outstanding performance in this contest really speaks to its authenticity,” said Lewis Bogach, vice president, programming, CMT. “The audience chose talent over production. Katelyn also proved the power of Internet marketing, and generated hundreds and hundreds of thousands of votes, literally.”
As the winner, Jolley will receive an all-expenses paid trip to CMT’s Nashville studio to record an episode of UNPLUGGED AT STUDIO 330, CMT.com’s online performance series, and a private audition with Sony BMG Nashville’s A&R department.
Hundreds of entries were received, and 64 finalists were posted at madness.CMT.com, where fans voted over six weeks in a head-to-head video competition. Sponsored by Chevrolet, the nationwide talent search offered unsigned or independent artists a chance to reveal original, unpublished music to fans across the country. This year the online competition expanded to include a CMT TV special hosted by American Idol finalist and Lyric Street Records recording artist Bucky Covington.
Martin Clayton, vice president of digital media for CMT and Lewis Bogach, vice president, programming for CMT, oversee the development of original music and entertainment programming for CMT LOADED. Mark Hall serves as executive producer for CMT LOADED, and Donna Priesmeyer serves as executive producer for CMT.com.
To view Jolley’s acceptance speech, visit
http://www.cmt.com/loaded/index.jhtml?vid=194624.

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