Best Inspirational Singer in America (2014 Contest Rules)

Praise 103.9 and James Fortune Singing Competition

Competition Guidelines

 

The Praise 103.9 and James Fortune Singing Competition (“Competition”) will begin on Friday, March 28, 2014 and end of Saturday, March 29, 2014.  Participants will audition on Friday, March 28, 2014 (“Audition Date”) for an opportunity to win: (a) a song written and produced by artist James Fortune, and (b) Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) (“Prize”).  Auditions will be limited to soloists only.  Twelve (12) finalists will be selected among those performing on the Audition Date to sing live at the Inspiration and Music Conference on Saturday, March 29, 2014.  The finalist with the highest score will be awarded the Prize.

 

ENTRY GUIDELINES:

Listeners of WPPZ-FM (“Station”) who are legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States, and are 18 years of age and older will be able to take part in this Competition. Listeners under 18 years of age can participate with a parent or guardians consent. To participate in the Competition, listeners must do the following:

Auditions:  Registration will begin at 10 a.m. on the Audition Date.  Auditions will begin at 12 p.m. for the first five hundred (500) registrants.  In order to participate in the auditions, entrants must register for the Inspiration and Music Conference, scheduled to be held on Saturday, March 29, 2014, online at http://www.praisephilly.com.  There is a non-refundable fee of Fifty-Five Dollars ($55.00) to register for the “Best Inspirational Singer in America” Workshop, which must be paid for prior to the auditions.  Participants may pre-register online at www.praisephilly.com. Auditions will be held on-site at Yesha Fellowship Hall, 2308 Snyder Avenue, Philadelphia, PA (“Audition Site”).  Only one (1) audition is permitted per registrant.  Auditions will be limited to soloists.  Groups will not be permitted.  Audition performers will be judged using a grading scale of one (1) through five (5) with five being the most points earned for a category.  All performers will be judged on a) delivery, b) personality, c) originality, d) stage presence, and e) overall performance.  It will be at the discretion of the judges to make a determination in the event of a tie between audition performers.

On the Audition Date, each performer will have a maximum of one (1) minute to perform an inspirational or gospel song in front of the panel of judges and other respected members of the music community.  All audition performances must be acapella.  No Music on CD, DATS, vinyl or cassettes will be permitted.  Acoustic instruments will be allowed.  No props, No Hype people, No Dancers, or Background Singers are permitted during Auditions.

Finals:

Twelve (12) Audition finalists (“Finalists”) will advance to the Finals at the Inspiration and Music Conference.  The Finalist’s names will not be announced until the “Best Inspirational Singer in America” Workshop on Saturday, March 29, 2014.  Finalists will be asked to perform acapella in front of James Fortune, the judging panel, and Workshop participants.

If a Finalist fails to attend the Workshop they will automatically be disqualified from winning the Grand Prize.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS:

1. The Competition is open to listeners of the Station who are 18 years of age and older and are legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States.  Listeners under 18 years of age can participate with a parent or guardians consent.

2. Competition participants will be required to sign and submit a participant release form and/or a liability release form.  If a Competition participant is a minor (under the age of eighteen (18)), the parent or legal guardian of the Competition participant must sign and submit all requested release forms.

3. Competition participants who are under the age of eighteen (18) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian while participating in auditions, rounds and finals.

4. Employees of the Station, Radio One, Inc., their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, advertisers, competitors, general sponsors, promotional partners, other radio stations in the Philadelphia, PA metropolitan area, and members of the immediate families or households of any of the above are NOT eligible to participate or win in this Competition.  For purposes of this Competition, immediate family members mean spouses, parents, grandparents, children, and siblings and their respective spouses.

1. Once an individual wins a Prize in this Competition, they are not eligible to win another Prize in this Competition except as specified within these rules.

6. Persons who have won a Prize in another Competition or promotion of any kind from the Station within the thirty-day (30) period immediately preceding the start date of this Competition are not eligible to participate.

 

 

 

PRIZES:

1. One (1) winner will be awarded the following Prize elements:

1. A song written and produced by James Fortune (as determined by James Fortune).  The agreement for the song’s production will be between the winner and James Fortune.  The Station and Radio One, Inc. shall not be a party to that agreement and shall not be responsible for any obligations thereunder.
2. Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) courtesy of Kerry Douglas of Worldwide Music, Inc.

2. To the extent that Prize elements are provided by third-party providers, winner agrees to look solely to applicable prize providers with respect to any claims, losses, or disputes in connection therewith.

3. No substitution of Prize is offered, no transfer of Prize to a third party is permitted and non-cash prizes may not be redeemed for cash value, except as determined by Station management and/or the sponsor in its sole discretion.

4. All Competition winners must sign and date official Station release and waiver forms as requested.  Failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting the Prize.

5. All cash Prizes won will be awarded in the form of a check.  Prize checks will be available for pick-up no earlier than twenty (20) business days from the date the Competition winner is awarded their Prize.

1. If for any reason a Competition winner decides not to accept an awarded Prize, the winner will be required to sign a release form acknowledging that they are forfeiting the Prize.  It will be at the discretion of the Competition sponsor and / or Competition administrator if another Competition participant is to be selected as the winner if time permits.

1. If Competition winner does not claim their Prize within thirty (30) days of winning notification the Prize will be forfeited.

8. Winners must provide valid identification (i.e. via driver’s license, passport or other government-issued photo I.D.) to claim their Prize.

 

 

 

EXECUTION:

1. Registration will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the Audition Date.  Auditions will begin at 12:00 p.m. for the first five hundred (500) Music Conference registrants.  In order to participate in the auditions, entrants must register for the Inspiration and Music Conference scheduled to be held on Saturday, March 29, 2014, online at http://www.praisephilly.com.  There is a non-refundable fee of Fifty-Five Dollars ($55.00) to register for the “Best Inspirational Singer in America” workshop which must be paid for prior to the auditions.  Auditions will be held on-site at Yesha Fellowship Hall, 2308 Snyder Avenue, Philadelphia, PA (“Audition Site”).  Only one (1) audition is permitted per registrant.  Auditions will be limited to soloists.  Groups will not be permitted.

1. The Finals will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2014.  The top twelve (12) names will not be announced until the “Best Inspirational Singer in America” Workshop.

1. The Grand Prize winner will be notified on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

1. Any transportation to and from the auditions and the Music Conference will be the participant’s responsibility.

1. Judging/Scoring:  A panel of judges will judge both the auditions and finalist rounds.  Scoring will be on a grading scale of one (1) through five (5) with five being the most points earned for a category.  All performers will be judged by a) delivery, b) personality, c) originality, d) stage presence, e) overall performance.  During the pre-auditions, Radio One reserves the right to have three (3) separate judging panels which will judge using the scoring criteria detailed above.

1. All decisions made by the Station, the Company, and James Fortune regarding any aspect of this Competition are final.

GENERAL CONDITIONS:

1. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes associated with the receipt of the Prize (Prizes are not transferable and may not be exchanged).  If the winner is under the age of eighteen (18), the Parent or Legal Guardian of Grand Prize winner will be responsible for payment of any applicable taxes associated with the Prize.

1. Any person winning over $600.00 in prizes will receive an IRS form 1099 at the end of the calendar year for tax purposes and a copy of such form will be filed with the IRS as required by law.

1. Competition is void where prohibited.  Competition is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

1. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible participants participating during the Audition Date.

1. By participating in the Competition, the winner or winners agree to have their name, voice, or likeness used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this Competition, in any media now known or hereafter devised for advertising or promotional purposes without additional compensation, and must sign a publicity release prior to acceptance of the Prize.  By entering this Competition, each participant agrees to comply with the Official Rules and the decisions of the Competition sponsor which shall be final and binding in all aspects relating to the Competition.

1. All Competition winners will be required to sign a liability release prior to acceptance of any Prize.  Pursuant to the liability release, the winner or winners will agree to hold the Station, the Company, James Fortune, any other Competition parties and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, officers, shareholders, directors, employees, agents and representatives of each of the foregoing, harmless against any and all claims or liability, directly or indirectly related to or arising from or in connection with Competition participation or the acceptance, possession or use / misuse of awarded Prize or any portion thereof, or participation in Prize-related activities, including but not limited to any related travel.

1. Winners must provide valid identification (i.e. via driver’s license, passport or other government-issued photo I.D.) to claim their Prize.

1. The station retains the right to disqualify any participant if all Competition rules are not followed, Competition void if prohibited by law.

1. So long as no participant is materially adversely affected, the Station reserves the right to make changes in the Competition rules, which will become effective upon being announced on the air and / or posted online.

1. The Station, the Company, James Fortune, participating sponsors and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates or their representatives, agents and employees are not responsible for the inability of any participant to complete or continue a telephone call, facsimile transmission or internet registration due to equipment malfunction, busy lines, inadvertent disconnections, communication failures or human error that may occur in the transmission, receipt or processing of entries.  In addition, the Station, the Company, James Fortune, participating sponsors and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates or their representatives, agents and employees are not responsible for lost, misdirected, mutilated, illegible or incomplete Competition entries.  Once submitted, entries become the property of the Station and will not be returned.

1. By accepting the Prize, the winner acknowledges that the Station, the Company and James Fortune have neither made, nor are in any manner responsible or liable for, any warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the Prize or to any portion thereof, including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition or fitness for a particular purpose.

1. The Station, the Company, James Fortune, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, participating sponsors and promotional partners, and any other Contest parties will not assume any responsibility for any changes in the execution of the Competition, including; cancellation of the Competition as a result of the occurrence of events not within the control of the Station, the Company, James Fortune, its subsidiaries, affiliates, participating sponsors, promotional partners and other radio stations, such as Acts of God, strikes, terrorists acts or criminal acts of third parties.  In the event, such an act should occur; to the Station may in its sole discretion, offer the winner comparable prize(s) currently being offered by the station in lieu of the Prize originally awarded.

1. Copies of Competition rules are available during regular business hours, Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the offices of the Station, located at Two Bala Plaza Bala Cynwyd, Philadelphia, PA 19004.