The Next Star: SuperGroup Premieres on YTV on Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. ET/PT

In a spin-off of the popular talent competition series The Next Star, Canada will vote for the next super group

Six former Next Star finalists get another chance to shine in a group format

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2014 /CNW/ - Corus Entertainment's YTV is premiering an exciting new singing competition series The Next Star: SuperGroup on Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. A spin-off of YTV's The Next Star, the six-episode series, produced by Tricon Films & Television, will take viewers through an intense, top-level talent showdown in order to crown a new mega boy or girl group, the likes of One Direction or Fifth Harmony. For a sneak peek of the series, click here.

The search for Canada's next super group sensation follows the journey of 30 finalists who travel to Toronto and compete in groups of five while they are mentored by an expert panel. In the end, only two groups will go head-to-head in the live finale, where Canada will vote online or by texting, to determine who wins the grand prize and title of The Next Star: SuperGroup. The live finale will mark the beginning of an exciting pop career for the winning group, who will record two original songs released by Sony Music (Canada) and receive an exclusive management deal with 21 Entertainment, which manages the careers of musical artists such as Fefe Dobson, JoJo and Kreesha Turner.

Over the course of six seasons, The Next Star has discovered and developed the talents of young performers from across Canada and fans have been with them for each step of the journey. Now Next Star Nation will get the opportunity to see some familiar faces return to take on a new challenge - performing in groups. These alumni include:

• Mimoza Duot, 17, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Top 6 finalist on Season 3
• Isabelle Stern, 17, Lorraine, Quebec, Top 6 finalist on Season 3
• Parker Schmidt, 14, Duncan, British Columbia, Top 6 finalist on Season 4
• Ryan Hawken, 16, Toronto, Ontario, Top 6 finalist on Season 5
• Amer Dhahliwal, 17, Brampton, Ontario, Top 6 finalist on Season 5
• Shania Fillmore, 17, Sallisbury, New Brunswick, Top 6 finalist on Season 4

Hosted by Jordan Francis (Camp Rock, Connor Undercover, CBC's Cross Country Fun Hunt), The Next Star: SuperGroup will feature the expertise of performance coaches including actress and recording artist Cory Lee (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Instant Star) and multi-platinum music producer and songwriter Damon Sharpe (The X Factor, Big Time Rush). They will be joined by a panel of industry experts, comprised of choreographer Nico Archambault (So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Nureyev), vocal coach Sarah Morrison (Canadian Idol, Canada's Got Talent), make-up artist Vanessa Jarman (Canada's Next Top Model, How to Look Good Naked Canada) and stylist Corey Ng (MuchMusic, MTV). After assembling the young artists into groups of five, the coaches and experts will guide and mentor each act as they are faced with an array of challenges designed to help them fine-tune their sound, style and chemistry.

Fans of The Next Star: SuperGroup will be able to see even more of their favourite contestants and coaches online through several web exclusives. On FlipSide, fans will be able to follow the SuperGroup contestants as they take to their Next Star Nation devices and film all that goes on behind the scenes. Rivals, is a web exclusive series that features the rivalry between coaches Cory and Damon, who will each be put to the test to prove they are the ultimate SuperGroup coach. The SuperGroup AfterShow web component will be hosted by The Next Star's web host Mark "Suki" Suknanan (The Next Star, The Zone) and will include weekly interview videos that feature each group talking about their performances.

Social Media Links:
www.supergroup.ytv.com
Facebook.com/TheNextStarYTV
Twitter: @TheNextStar
#SuperGroup
Instagram: @TheNextStarYTV

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., a Canadian-based media and entertainment company that creates, broadcasts and licenses content across a variety of platforms for audiences around the world. The Company's portfolio of multimedia offerings encompasses specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children's book publishing, children's animation and animation software. Corus' brands include YTV, TELETOON, ABC Spark, W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada), HBO Canada, Historia and Séries+, as well as Nelvana, Kids Can Press, Toon Boom and 39 radio stations including CKNW AM 980, 99.3 The FOX, Country 105, 630 CHED, Fresh FM London, Q107 and 102.1 the Edge. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CJR.B). Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

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 high-resolution images, please visit: http://mediacentre.corusent.com

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SOURCE: YTV Canada Inc.

Kate Calder
Corus Entertainment Inc.
[email protected]
416.479.6319

and

Alina Duviner
Unit Publicist for The Next Star: SuperGroup
[email protected]
416.574.1098

and

Emily Blake
Unit Publicist for The Next Star: SuperGroup
[email protected]
647.291.6097