Christian Napster Meets American Idol

Nashville, Tenn. (www.songtouch.com) - The networks better take note: on November 9th hundreds of aspiring Christian artists will know whether they have won the 'American Idol' of the Christian music world.

The Talent Show is a competition for independent Christian artists who all want to make it big in the fastest-growing sector of the music biz. The show itself will feature 30 artists and bands, whittled down from hundreds of entries across the nation, and will take place in the heartland of the recording industry – Nashville, Tenn.

The winners will receive 20 hours of studio recording/editing time and the resulting CD will feature on SongTouch.com, dubbed the 'Christian Napster' in TIME magazine and industry publications.

'This is truly the American Idol of the Christian music industry,' says Dave Dickinson, SongTouch Vice President of Operations. 'The winner will gain immediate recognition in Nashville – home of Christian music – and will be up there alongside such bands as Pillar and Casting Crowns on the largest download site in the industry: SongTouch.com.'

The songs being performed at The Talent Show are positive, family music with entries of Christian country, Christian contemporary, Christian rock, southern gospel, and more. Judges are Derek Jones, VP of marketing for Word/Curb/Warner; George Collier, President of Aspiron Records; Eddie Crook, MorningStar Records; and Lloyd Knight, Rustic Records.

The Talent Show is a part of the Inspirational Music Awards and Convention. The Inspirational Music Awards and Convention is a yearly event that draws music fans, radio programmers and record company executives to Nashville to showcase music and to discuss industry related issues culminating with an award show on the final evening. The 11th annual event is scheduled for November 5-10, 2005 with the awards show being held at the historic Ryman Auditorium on November 10. The show will be nationally televised on Great American Country, a part of the Scripps Network. For more information, visit www.ccma.cc.