Corus Entertainment’s YTV and Tricon Films and Television announced today the Season 6 launch of The Next Star. The only talent competition that showcases young singing sensations on a journey to break out as Canada’s next hit artists will premiere on Monday, July 15 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. After travelling acrossCanada, where over five thousand aspiring stars auditioned for their chance at a national platform for their talent, the finalists will come to Toronto to appear on The Next Star’s career-making stage.
The show’s returning music industry judges include R&B star Keshia Chanté, music industry exec Mark Spicoluk and Canada’s country sweetheart Tara Oram. This esteemed panel who have all experienced the ins and outs of being young, breakout stars, will have the tough task of narrowing this field of hopefuls to just twelve. Popular on-air YTV personality Carlos Bustamante (YTV’s The Zone, Big Fun Movies), will host this season and be there alongside the auditioning hopefuls during the incredible cross-country tour and throughout the in-studio competition.
“The entire Next Star team was blown away by the level of talent in each city on this year’s cross-Canada tour,” said Jameel Bharmal, Creative Director, Tricon Films & Television. “This season’s hopefuls each bring something unique and incredible to the table – our judges and viewers will have some tough decisions to make.”
YTV is introducing fans to a new second screen experience, Next Star Nation, which directly connects fans to the series. This second screen experience expands on the pre-existing cross-platform experience, where fans interact online by voting, participating in the Virtual Next Star Contest, playing Next Star themed games and watching exclusive video. Next Star Nation will also offer behind-the-scenes exclusive content, live tweeting and daily fan interaction to make this an experience that no YTV show has offered before, available online, by tablet and smartphone.
“We’re thrilled with the incredible level of talent going into the sixth season of The Next Star,” said Jocelyn Hamilton, Vice President, Original Programming, Kids, Comedy, Drama. “We’re building on the success of this franchise and offering fans even more ways to enjoy the show on all platforms, so they can follow the finalists on their journey from the auditions to the finale.”
In addition to the second screen experience, fans will also have access to exclusive content online with two new web series: The Next Star Aftershow and Backstage Pass, hosted by Next Star Nation’s Mark “Suki” Suknanan.
As the competition heats up, one lucky contestant who doesn’t make the cut, will be given a second chance as a wild card to fly to Toronto and compete with the Top 12, bringing the total number of finalists who advance to the next round to 13. Viewers can look forward to additional elimination twists in Season 6 as well as surprise special guests.
