NASHVILLE, TN. (ColgateCountryShowdown.com) - Five Nashville music industry veterans have been invited to judge the 24th Annual Colgate Country Showdown.
Craig Campbell (Sony Records), Keith Follese (Midas Records) Producer, Garth Fundis, Mike Martinovich (The Consortium Group) and Tinti Moffat (William Morris Agency) will be seated as professional critics at the
National Finals as the five regional winners compete for $100,000 and the title of Best New Act in Country Music. The
National Finals, to be held Thursday, January 26, 2006 at the Ryman Auditorium, will be taped for television where country music duo
Montgomery Gentry will star in America's Largest Talent Search, hosted by Kassie DePaiva of ABC's One Life To Live.
The 2006 Finals event judges are:
Craig Campbell
A 21-year music industry veteran, Campbell is the Vice President of Press and Publicity for Sony Music Nashville and has spent the last twelve years heading media efforts for the company's Epic and Columbia labels. He has been instrumental in the success of the Dixie Chicks, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson and others. Campbell is a past judge for the Showdown.
Keith Follese
Named both ASCAP and BILLBOARD magazine's Songwriter of the Year, he has held the No 1 Single chart position for a record 15 weeks. Keith Follese had No 1 singles with Randy Travis, Little Texas, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride and Lonestar. He continues to write with top producers and artist all over the world including Rhett Lawrence, Jorgen Elofsson, Jessica Simpson, Marc Anthony, Lance Bass, Brian Latrell, Wynonna, Jo Dee Messina, Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker, Nick Lachey, Jamie O'Neal, Gary Burr and Cliff Magness.
Garth Fundis
An independent record producer and recording engineer with over 30 years of experience in Nashville's music industry, Garth Fundis' credits read like a who's who of country music with artists such as Trisha Yearwood, Keith Whitley, Don Williams, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Alabama, Buddy Jewell, and most recently, 2005's breakout success story, Sugarland. A past Showdown judge, Fundis' collaborations with his artists have earned numerous awards from the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, Billboard and American Music Awards as well as a host of GRAMMY nominations. He is also the owner of Nashville's legendary Sound Emporium Recording Studios and a past Showdown judge.
Mike Martinovich
Spending his entire corporate career with CBS Records/Sony Music Martinovich played an integral role in the successes of Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Placido Domingo, Michael Jackson, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, James Taylor and Pink Floyd. In Nashville, he led the marketing team that launched Ricky Van Shelton, designed a marketing campaign, which gave Dolly Parton and Patty Loveless their first platinum albums in years and spearheaded the marketing thrust behind Joe Diffie, Collin Raye and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Martinovich is a past Showdown judge.
Tinti Moffat
Moffat joined the William Morris Agency in April 2001 and is responsible for signing Katrina Elam, Sugarland, Jon Randall and others. Previously, she formed and operated a successful independent booking agency then held a 12-year tenure at Balmur Entertainment, an artist management and music publishing house. Currently, she is a member of the CMA, NARAS, an alumna of Leadership Music and sits on the board of the W.O. Smith Community Music School. She is the founder and Chair of 'The Birdhouse Thing,' an annual fundraising event benefiting the W.O. Smith Community Music School and she is project coordinator for the annual William Morris build day for Habitat for Humanity.
Each spring, the nationwide Colgate Country Showdown search begins with more than 400 country music radio stations producing over 500 shows to find the best new country musical talent in their market. Radio station winners compete at state and five regional competitions throughout the summer and fall. The Colgate Country Showdown culminates with a national television final that has been hosted in the past by country music superstars such as Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Sara Evans and Billy Ray Cyrus.
For more information go to, ColgateCountryShowdown.com.
