DAN BOECKNER, JENN GRANT, AND SAUKRATES TO BE GUEST JUDGES FOR CBC MUSIC'S SEARCHLIGHT

CBCMusic.ca and CBC Radio One are searching for Canada’s best new artist. Dan Boeckner, Jenn Grant and Saukrates have signed on as judges, and they’ll team up with listeners to pick the best acts in the music contest SEARCHLIGHT. Musicians from all genres, including solo acts, duos and groups, are encouraged to enter the competition with their original track now at cbcmusic.ca/Searchlight.

“Talent comes from the soul,” said Saukrates. “Being named a judge for CBC Searchlight is such an honour and a privilege. I’m sure I’ll hear some incredible music.”

“Searchlight is always a thrill for me, because one of the most exciting aspects of being a music fan is the joy of discovery. That’s really what Searchlight is all about,” said Grant Lawrence, host, SEARCHLIGHT. “From the winner on down, we always find an incredible wealth of talent from every corner of the country.”

SEARCHLIGHT is a listeners’ choice competition that engages both musicians and the audience. From now until March 29th, artists can go to cbcmusic.ca/Searchlight and enter the contest by creating an artist profile and submitting one original song to represent them in the contest. From March 30th to April 27th, CBC afternoon radio shows across the country will host a showcase where artists will compete through three rounds of voting to be named their Regional Champion. Listeners can vote for their favourite artists through each round by visiting the SEARCHLIGHT website.

Based on the results of the three regional voting rounds, 23 Regional Champions will be announced on April 28th. Those 23 artists will then compete in the National Round of voting, hosted by CBC’s Q, from April 28th to May 4th. The five acts with the most votes will automatically advance to the National Top 10 Round, and SEARCHLIGHT judges Boeckner, Grant and Saukrates will choose another five artists from the remaining Regional Champions to be saved, rounding out the National Top 10.

From May 5th to May 11th, listeners will vote for their favourite artists among the National Top 10 to help determine the four acts that will compete in the Final Round. The artist with the most votes will automatically advance to the Final Round, while the judges will each pick one of the remaining acts that will advance to the Final Round. A debate between the judges will be held on Q on May 12th to decide which of the four finalists deserves to be named Canada’s best new musical act. If the judges can’t decide, popular vote will be the tie-breaker. The winner will be announced live on Q on May 15th.

The winner of the national vote will win $20,000 worth of music equipment from Yamaha Music Canada, and will be offered an opening act slot at The CBCMusic.ca Festival in Toronto, including flight and accommodations. CBCMusic.ca will also record an audio/video session of the winner’s performance at the festival.

• Now-March 29: Artist submission period

• March 30-April 13: Regional voting - Round 1 (Long List)

• April 14-20: Regional voting - Round 2 (Top 20)

• April 21-27: Regional voting - Round 3 (Top 10)

• April 28: Regional finalists announced

• April 28-May 4: National voting (Top 23)

• May 5-11: National voting (Top 10)

• May 12: Q Panel interview with judges

• May 15: Winner announced

For more information, including complete rules and regulations please visit: cbcmusic.ca/Searchlight.

- 30 -

CBCMusic.ca is Canada’s free digital music service connecting Canadians with the very best in Canadian and international music, concerts and features. Simple and easy to navigate, CBCMusic.ca gives music fans access to 50 Web radio stations, 12 distinct genre-based music communities, CBC Radio 2 and CBC Radio 3, plus content from the most knowledgeable music personalities and programmers from across the country, hundreds of concerts, playlists and more.

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada’s strategy to transform the public broadcaster, and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians, now and for future generations. Through to 2020, the Corporation will increase its investment in prime-time television programming and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.

For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.

Dayna Shiskos, publicist, CBC

(o) (416) 205-7973

(c) (647) 226-5796