GIVING LESSER KNOWN TALENT THE KEY TO INDUSTRY SUCCESS – 

MOBO UNSUNG PRESENTED BY HTC IS LAUNCHED NATIONWIDE

• In its 18^th year, the MOBO Organisation reenergises its MOBO UnSung talent competition with a new prize package to set undiscovered talent on the road to success in the music industry
• HTC, the MOBO Awards’ official partner collaborates with the winner to use its award winning technology to enrich the winners experience
• The winner will also have the exciting opportunity to work with award-winning director Sebastian Thiel, who will direct their music video

Nurturing talent, providing a platform for aspiring artists and finding the next big thing are all part of the MOBO ethos. MOBO UnSung encapsulates these values with an online competition to push talent out of the shadows and into the limelight giving a wider voice to unsigned artists with the grit and determination to make it big.

Now entering its second year as a digital competition, the national contest presented by HTC offers the ultimate in ‘money can’t buy’ prizes for one lucky winner including exposure on MOBO.com, live-feeds to millions of mobile devices around the world, the chance to perform at this year’s MOBO nominations launch in September and a one year membership to the exclusive members club, The Hospital in London.

New for 2013, SupaPass will be providing the ultimate mentoring package for the UnSung winner by giving vital social media training and campaign management to ensure the winner succeeds in the ever changing music landscape. Base79, YouTube marketers, will also give the MOBO UnSung winner invaluable advice on how to grow, maximise and monetise their own YouTube Channel. We are also excited to be working with award-winning director, Sebastian Thiel who will direct the winner’s music video.

Presented by HTC, the MOBO UnSung competition runs from July 24 – August 30, 2013 in two stages.  The first stage (open to all), will see applicants send a link via the website, of their video performance from the MOBO genre (Gospel, Jazz, RnB, Soul, Reggae to Hip Hop and Grime).  Six finalists (one from each region of the UK) will then be chosen by the MOBO music panel to go through to the second stage where they will be asked to do a cover of a MOBO classic - finalists will be given a choice of 10 songs from 18 years of MOBO.  These covers will be uploaded to the MOBO YouTube channel; the overall winner will be chosen 50% by public voting and the other 50% by the MOBO music panel.

Kanya King MBE, founder of the MOBO Organisation commented:
“I am delighted to announce the second year of the MOBO UnSung competition presented by HTC.  Over the past 18 years, MOBO has supported a huge amount of new and emerging talent which due to our platform went on to obtain chart topping success. It is with this legacy that we celebrate MOBO UnSung and search the country for the best in under heard talent. If you have got what it takes, MOBO wants you to step up to the challenge to make your mark on the music industry”. 

HTC, the official partner of the MOBO Organisation, brings our audience even closer to some of the hottest urban acts by providing unique experiences and helping to enrich MOBO’s platform for aspiring talent.  In the run up to the milestone 18^th anniversary of the MOBO Awards on Saturday, October 19 in the newly built arena, The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, various ‘MOBO 18’ activities will take place with MOBO UnSung being at the heart of the buzz.  Tickets for the awards show are currently on sale via www.mobo.com priced at £25, £35 and £49.

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For more press information, please contact:

Notes to editor:

·         MOBO UnSung presented by HTC – July 24 – August 30, 2013

o   First stage: July 24 – August 9 at 12 noon

o   Second stage: August 14 – 19 at 12 noon six finalists to submit MOBO covers

o   August 20 - 30 at 12 noon public voting of MOBO covers

o   August 30 at 12 noon, second stage closes

o   September 4, overall MOBO UnSung 2013 winner announced

o   First week of September: MOBO UnSung 2013 winner announced

o   Second week of September: MOBO UnSung 2013 winner to perform at MOBO nominations launch

How to enter MOBO UnSung 2013:

1.      To enter, applicants register via  www.mobo.com/UnSung2013

2.      Applicants will need to submit a video entry of their own material within the MOBO music genre no later than the August 9

3.      All video content submitted to the first stage of the competition must not exceed three minutes in total and be the applicants own material

4.      All applicants must be 18 years or over

Prize package for the MOBO UnSung winner:

·         Opportunity to perform at our MOBO 18 nominations launch

·         An HTC One handset

o   Winner of ‘Best New Mobile Device’ 2013 at the Mobile World Congress

o   Breakthrough technology with the UltraPixel Camera Zoe, HTC BoomSound, Metal Unibody Design and HTC Sense TV™

·         The winner’s music video directed by award winning director, Sebastian Thiel

·         SupaPass

o   social media training/campaign management and membership

o   Get paid for your music and behind-the-scenes content as a featured artist on SupaPass

o   Your own artist advert featured on every SupaPass.com page

o   Your track featured to every visitor to SupaPass.com

o   Marketing campaign advice and mentoring from the SupaPass team

o   SupaPass artist SupaPack (value £100) - gift cards to sell your music at gigs and mastering of your next single

·         One year membership to the exclusive members club, The Hospital

·         Base79 will also provide the facility to teach our MOBO Unsung winner the opportunity to grow and maximise your own YouTube Channel.

Sebastian Thiel

A rising social entrepreneur and film director who was recently put on the Evening Standard’s ‘1000 most influential people in London’ list and featured as guest speaker at TED x Oxbridge focusing on ‘entertainment influencers’, all at the tender age of 22.  In his late teens, he created ‘Its Upshot’, an entertainment production and online
broadcasting company that creates content that crosses boundaries and gets everyone talking.  His range of high quality content is currently on 5.8 million views.

Thiel is also the recipient of the Mini Mogul, Unltd Award, the Google Zeitgeist Young Minds Competition, a Sundance London Short Film Finalist, a Virgin Media pioneer and SSE Fellow.

What are the six UK regions?

·         London and M25

·         North East and North West of England

·         Scotland and Northern Ireland

·         South of England (excluding London and M25)

·         Wales, the East of England and the Midlands

·         Yorkshire and Humber