Grammy Award-nominated artist Jim Brickman has revealed who will judge his Brickman’s Big Break talent search, and pushed back the deadline for singers and musicians to apply for another month.
Brickman’s Big Break is a new online competition geared toward aspiring artists over 40 years of age, through video submissions sent in at the “Valentine” songwriter’s website. Hopefuls can apply from now until September 7.
20 artists will be selected by Brickman and the judging panel before the public votes for their favorite. The winner earns a spot performing in Jim Brickman’s next live stream Christmas concert, will record a song with Brickman, and have the chance to “get seen by seasoned entertainment experts.”
Ten runners-up will have their videos included in a YouTube “virtual concert” hosted on Brickman’s website and participate in a group coaching session with him.
It differs from the slate of singing competitions on television. Shows such as The Voice, American Idol and America’s Got Talent mostly feature singers who are in their teens and twenties; American Idol explicitly cuts off eligibility at 29, while The Voice is open to all ages but has skewed so much younger in recent seasons that the show reduced its age minimum to 13. Brickman’s Big Break is targeting those performers who don’t fit into the typical talent show demographic.
Aside from Jim Brickman, the judging panel for Brickman’s Big Break includes Grammy Award-winning singer Thelma Houston (“Don’t Leave Me This Way”), Emmy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Victoria Shaw (who has collaborated with Garth Brooks and Christina Aguilera) and American Idol associate musical director Michael Orland.
The panel is rounded out by a pair of recording industry executives: Crush Music head of pop radio promotion and strategy Erik Olesen (whose company works with the likes of Lorde and Panic at the Disco) and Jonas Group Entertainment CEO Phil Guerini (whose organization manages acts like America’s Got Talent alumni Mandy Harvey).
“I am so thrilled to have these industry experts to judge the first Brickman’s Big Break competition,” Jim Brickman said via press release. “They not only have outstanding experience and talent–they each bring their own unique perspectives and pedigrees from the world of music and entertainment to the table to help choose the winner.”
The Brickman’s Big Break entry fee is $50, and part of the proceeds from that and from tickets sold to the live stream concert will be donated to The Actors Fund. Learn more by watching the introduction video.
For more about Brickman’s Big Break and to enter, visit the website. Applications are now open until September 7.
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