The Next Star Season 7 Premieres on Monday, July 14 at 7 p.m. ET/PT

Dan Kanter joins the judges panel to look for Canada's next superstar

TORONTO, June 25, 2014 /CNW/ - YTV's hit competition series The Next Star is returning for an exciting Season 7, beginning on Monday, July 14 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Entering another season, The Next Star is now the longest running singing competition series on Canadian television. The series, which follows aspiring young artists on their journey to stardom begins with open auditions held in cities across Canada and leads to weeks of performance coaching and singing showdowns in Toronto, until one finalist is crowned The Next Star. This season, music industry heavy weight, Dan Kanter, joins host Carlos Bustamante as well as the returning judges, country sweetheart Tara Oram and music industry impresario Mark Spicoluk. Dan is a triple threat Musical Director, producer and songwriter who has worked with chart-topping superstars Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber.

"After travelling across the country for this year's open call audition tour I could not be more excited to be part of Season 7 of The Next Star." said Dan Kanter, Judge on The Next Star. "We found talent that I can't wait to see develop as the top 12 finalists work with us and the show's experts to unlock their abilities."

"We're excited to include Dan Kanter's musical coaching and directing expertise. Together, Dan and returning judges Tara and Mark, have a great chemistry and bring out the best in our young performers," said Jamie Piekarz, Director of Content, Corus Kids. "This season of The Next Star will give viewers all the excitement and emotion of the competition with a whole new batch of incredibly talented kids."

The winner will be crowned during the live finale telecast and embark on an opportunity of a lifetime. They will receive a one-song recording deal, which will be released on iTunes and the chance to work with one of the industry's top music producers. The Next Star will also receive a $5,000 shopping spree at Sears and a Masterbuilt Acoustic guitar from Gibson. 

With its return for a seventh season, The Next Star's audience will see incredible aspiring performers from coast to coast, aged 15 and under, and follow their journey as they develop into pop stars. Past Next Star finalists have included Victoria Duffield, Alyssa Reid, Darren Espanto and most recently, the winner of Season 6, Alicia Moffet, who released her first single, "Why Do Boys Lie," with Sony Music Entertainment Canada this spring.

The Next Star's web host Mark "Suki" Suknanan (The Next Star: SuperGroup, The Zone) is back to give fans even more footage of their favourite contestants in the web-excluisve series The Next Star: AfterShow. 

Along with Sears, Hilroy, CLEAN & CLEAR ® and Fujifilm Instax have signed on as series sponsors and will have their products integrated into a variety of episodes.

Social Media Links:
www.nextstar.ytv.com
Facebook.com/TheNextStarYTV
Twitter: @TheNextStar
Instagram: @TheNextStarYTV
#NextStarNation
#TNS7

About YTV
Celebrating 25 years in television, YTV is a leading cross platform entertainment brand for kids and families. The channel offers quality entertainment with hilarious animated and live-action comedy series, popular Nickelodeon series, blockbuster movies, top-rated original Canadian programming, music, celebrities and the channel's after-school block, The Zone. Through its multiple platforms and exclusive digital and interactive content, YTV is the voice of Canadian youth culture. YTV is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc. Visit www.ytv.com.

About Tricon Films & Television
Tricon Films & Television is one of North America's leading producers and distributors. With offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, Tricon has quickly emerged as a prominent supplier of award-winning factual and scripted programming that continues to be successful around the world. Tricon's distribution arm features a broad catalogue of high quality, multi-platform content including primetime scripted drama and comedy, kids, lifestyle, factual and documentary series and specials. www.triconfilms.com. 

For a high-resolution image, please visit: http://bit.ly/1v5Ykle

Follow YTV on Twitter @YTV
Follow Corus PR on Twitter @CorusPR

SOURCE: Corus Entertainment Inc.

please contact: Kate Calder, Corus Entertainment Inc., [email protected], 416.479.6319; OR Alina Duviner, Unit Publicist for The Next Star 7, [email protected], 416.574.1098; Emily Blake, Unit Publicist for The Next Star 7, [email protected], 647.291.6097