According to a press release distributed by Blue Flame, the marketing division of Bad Boy, StarMaker is set to premiere on August 16 at 10 PM ET, following "America's Best Dance Crew." This comes
after numerous push backs. The season will be 10 episodes long and will feature a team of "industry tastemakers and poker players hand-selected by Diddy to teach, test, coach, and ultimately create the world's next global music superstar."
As previously reported, that team will feature super-producer
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and singer/actress
Kimberly Caldwell.
It will also include former Billboard Executive Editor Tamara Conniff, accomplished choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson and artist manager Johnny Wright. See the full press release below.
Music’s Most Brilliant Minds Collide on MTV’s New Series
“P. Diddy’s StarMaker”
Los Angeles, CA—MTV’s new 10-episode series “P. Diddy’s StarMaker” is bringing together the most respected names in music management, production, performance, and talent. Slated for premiere on August 16th at 10:00PM, directly following MTV’s hit “America’s Best Dance Crew,” the show will feature industry tastemakers and power players hand-selected by Diddy to teach, test, coach, and ultimately create the world’s next global music superstar. This unparalleled committee of true music “StarMakers” includes:
• RODNEY “DARKCHILD” JERKINS— A child prodigy who cracked the top of the charts with Brandy and Monica's instant classic the "Boy Is Mine" as a teenager, Rodney Jerkins has been one of music's most successful producers for over 10 years. The resume for this Grammy-award winning songwriter includes superstars like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Pussycat Dolls, Destiny's Child, Mary J. Blige and Britney Spears. He is an inspirational speaker, the CFO of the first online music virtual world MusicMogul.com, and the CEO his own label, Darkchild Records, LLC.
• TAMARA CONNIFF—Tamara Conniff served as the music editor for The Hollywood Reporter for five years before making her name as the youngest ever and first female editor-in-chief at Billboard Magazine. Tamara recently served as President of Music Services for Front Line Management where she worked with music icons like Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen and Christina Aguilera.
• LAURIEANN GIBSON—“Making the Band’s” favorite choreographer is back. After training with the world famous Alvin Ailey School of Dance, Gibson has choreographed megastars like the Jonas Brothers, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Diddy. Whether she’s bringing the “boom kack” or warning artists about the “gotcha gotcha,” Laurie Ann gives guidance like no else in the business.
• KIMBERLY CALDWELL—Kimberly Caldwell is a singer, actress, and television personality who has worked as an entertainment correspondent and host for the TV Guide Network. Kimberly first hit the limelight as an artist on another popular reality competition show, which provides an intimate and empathetic relationship between her and the aspiring StarMaker contestants.
• JOHNNY WRIGHT—Johnny Wright is a legendary star maker. He has managed some of the most successful acts of all time including Janet Jackson, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and the Jonas Brothers. No stranger to reality television, Johnny Wright has mentored artists on “Making the Band” and “Making Menudo.”
About “P. Diddy’s StarMaker”
“P. Diddy’s StarMaker” is executive produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs and Mark Burnett. Each week, competitors will have to handle the head-spinning schedule that comes with the life of a music celebrity, including invasive paparazzi harassment, exhausting multi-hour photo shoots, and full-scale performances in front of live audiences. They will battle for the ultimate prize of becoming the next international music superstar. “P. Diddy’s StarMaker” will air on MTV beginning May 28th
About MTV
MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries -- giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched ten dynamic online communities and six new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space – delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV’s successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in… www.mtvpress.com.
About Mark Burnett Productions
Mark Burnett is a leading executive producer for primetime television, cable and the internet, and has produced over 1,100 hours of television programming which regularly airs in over 70 countries around the world. Mark Burnett (President of MBP) revolutionized television with hits such as Survivor (CBS), The Apprentice (NBC), Rock Star (CBS), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX), which is currently being produced in 52 countries, and the daytime syndicated hit Martha. In the summers of 2007 and 2008, MBP entered the world of Award Shows, when Mark Burnett served as executive producer for the MTV Movie Awards. Since 2001, Mark Burnett Productions has garnered a total of 51 Emmy nominations and Mark Burnett has 2 Emmy wins and has won 4 People’s Choice Awards. Mark Burnett has been named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME magazine and named TV Guide’s most valuable player. He has won both BRANDWEEK’S Marketer of the Year Award and the prestigious ROSE D’OR FRAPA Format Award. In 2007, Mark Burnett was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. In 2008, Mark was honored with the announcement that he is to receive a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
Updated (7/31/09): Adjusted second line of Conniff bio by request.
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