From Street to Stardom How the Idols Format Produces Pop Star Careers Worldwide and Brought Carrie Underwood to the Country Music Hall of Fame

11 June 2009 week 24 From street to stardom How the Idols format produces pop star careers worldwide and brought Carrie Underwood to the Country Music Hall of Fame Belgium Germany Philippe Delusinne elected Introducing HDTV new ACT President Belgium, Luxembourg France New cooperation protocol M6 viewers’ favourite COVER: Montage with Mark Medlock, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson 2 week 24 the RTL Group intranet Where stars are born The Idols format has produced a number of exceptional stars worldwide, including Carrie Underwood, who is being honoured this week with an exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Carrie Underwood United States - 11 June 2009 There is hardly another format that can boast as long a list of successes as Idols. In the US alone, American Idol, which runs on the Fox Network, draws well over 25 million viewers to their TV screens week after week. In the eighth season, which recently ended with Kris Allen’s victory, the show averaged 26.3 million viewers, cementing American Idol’s status as the by far most popular entertainment programme in the US. In Germany, Deutschland sucht den Superstar was named the most successful TV format of the 2008/09 season by the industry publication Kress a few weeks ago – ahead of Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! and the perennial German hit Wetten, dass..?. In France, Nouvelle Star, which is broadcast by M6, generates new audience records week by week: the final broadcast on 9 June attained up to 4.9 million viewers when the winner Soan Carrie Underwood at the audition back in 2004 was announced. Carrie Underwood, the winner of season four of American Idol, is one of America’s biggest “Idols has now travelled to 43 territories across superstars. During the competition, the show’s all five continents and I believe it draws people co-creator and judge Simon Cowell predicted in all around the world because it engages that she would win and that she would outsell them directly with the contestants’ journey and all of Idol’s previous winners. He was right on they audience eventually becomes part of the both counts. Carrie’s debut album, Some story through the interactivity of the format,” Hearts, is the biggest-selling American Idol says Rob Clark, President Worldwide album to date, shipping more than 7 million Entertainment at FremantleMedia. “Whether records in the US alone. The album was the that journey takes place in India, Germany, fastest-selling debut country album in Nielsen South Africa or America – it’s the universality of SoundScan history. Carrie Underwood also taking someone from the street to stardom and wrote a new page in RIAA record books when creating your pop idol in your territory.” Some Hearts earned the all-time fastest double platinum certification of a debut country album. But the success of the format cannot be mea- Released in 2005, it has been the best-selling sured by ratings alone. A look at the careers female country album of 2005, 2006 and 2007. that began with American Idol clearly shows Carrie was the first American Idol artist to win a that this is truly a show where stars are born. Grammy in the category “Best New Artist” in 3 week 24 the RTL Group intranet 2007 and won the Grammy in the “Best Female In Germany, Mark Medlock has stood his Country Vocal Performance” category in 2007, ground in the music business since winning the 2008 and 2009 as well as a host of trophies fourth season of Deutschland sucht den from the Country Music Awards, People’s Superstar in Jahr 2007. His two albums to date Choice, Billboard and others over the years. – Mr. Lonely and Dreamcatcher – have both Her latest album Carnival Ride, released in shipped platinum, which in Germany means 2007, has held strong in the Billboard Top 200 more than 200,000 units sold. His latest album for 85 weeks. Club Tropicana is currently at number three in the German album charts. Country Music Hall of Fame logo Mark Medlock Under the heading Carrie Underwood: All American Girl, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum honours Carrie Underwood with a spotlight exhibit that will open on 11 June 2009 in Nashville. The centrepiece of the exhibit is the merlot silk taffeta dress Underwood wore during the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, performing her single I Told You So. She was named “Entertainer Of The Year” and “Top Female Vocalist” at the awards show. The Hall of Fame exhibit runs through the end of the year. Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the very first season of American Idol, has become a global Guy Sebastian superstar, selling more than 10 million albums in the US alone – her debut album Thankful shipped double platinum; her sophomore relea- se Breakaway from 2004 shipped platinum six times over. In 2006, Clarkson got the Grammy in the “Best Female Pop Vocale Performance” category and “Best Pop Vocal Album”. Clarkson’s latest album All I Ever Wanted ente- red the Billboard charts at number one and in less than two months sold nearly 600,000 units in the US. So, even seven years after her triumph on American Idol, Kelly Clarkson is anything but old news. Kelly Clarkson 4 week 24 the RTL Group intranet In Australia, Guy Sebastian won the first season of Australian Idol in 2003. His debut Just As I Am was released in 2003 and was certificated six times Platinum in Australia and two times Platinum in New Zealand. The two successors were both certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association. In November 2007, he released The Memphis Album, a cover album that was among the Top Ten best selling albums in 2007, despite having only six weeks of selling counting. In total, the album shipped three times Platinum. In March 2009, Nouvelle Star 2007 winner Jennifer Hudson Julien Doré Julien Doré received two awards at the 24th edition of the Victoires de la musique for his first album Ersatz and the video clip of Les Limites. After Amel Bent in 2006, Miss Dominique in 2007 and Christophe Willem in 2008, Julien Doré is the fourth artist discovered on Nouvelle Star to be recognized by the Victoires de la musique. These prizes award the talent and originality of the artists highlighted on Nouvelle Star, thus contributing to the deve- lopment and revitalisation of music in France. And the winners of Idols aren’t the only ones who go on to success – the show’s other fina- lists make their path in the music business as well. Like Jennifer Hudson, who placed the seventh from season three of American Idol. Hudson went on to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 2007 musical road movie Dreamgirls. In February 2007, she won the Oscar for Best Soan, winner of Nouvelle Star 2009 Supporting Actress. In March of the same year, As previously mentioned by Thomas Valentin, she became the third African-American celebri- Vice-President of the Management Board of ty and first African-American singer to grace Groupe M6 in charge of the stations and the cover of the US lifestyle magazine Vogue. content, Nouvelle Star will continue in 2010 for Her debut album Jennifer Hudson, released in an eighth season. According to a recent September 2008, rose to number two in the interview on the Journal du Dimanche, the Billboard Top 200, sold over 700,000 units, and panel of judges was excellent, and better than shipped gold. In 2009, Jennifer Hudson sang last year, and Virginie Guilhaume surely made the U.S. national anthem at the Superbowl – in viewers forget her predecessors. front of nearly 100 million viewers in the US. “The Idols’ story is a testament to Ended on 9 June 2009, season 7 of Nouvelle FremantleMedia’s ability to work with great Star, presented by Virginie Guilhaume, drew an creative partners, such as 19 Entertainment, to average of 4.2 million viewers, an audience produce the sort of top quality entertainment share of 18.2 per cent of viewers age 4 and experience exemplified in all the local over. With a 26.9 per cent audience share, this versions,” Rob Clark concludes. “But the season’s Nouvelle Star once again scores an success story is not just about the format, it’s excellent rating among housewives under 50. also about how we work commercially to build The show also gained 200,000 viewers over the the brand through ancillary rights activity such previous season. Out of 16 shows in the as merchandising and licensing right through to Nouvelle Star adventure, 13 posted audiences unique projects such as the ‘American Idol in excess of 4 million viewers. Experience at Disney’.” 5 week 24 the RTL Group intranet Albums by Idols candidates peaking at number one (excerpt) Kelly Clarkson: Thankful (2003) Mark Medlock: Mr. Lonely (2007) American Idol Winner Deutschland sucht den Superstar Winner 2x Platinum Kelly Clarkson: All I Ever Wanted (2009) Thomas Godoj: Plan A! (2008) American Idol Winner Deutschland sucht den Superstar Winner More than 500,000 sold - not certified yet Carrie Underwood: Carnival Ride (2007) DSDS Allstars: United (2003) American Idol Winner Deutschland sucht den Superstar Cast 2x Platinum 5x Platinum Clay Aiken: Measure of a Man (2003) DSDS Allstars 3: Love Songs (2006) American Idol Runner-Up Deutschland sucht den Superstar Cast 2x Platinum Christophe Willem: Inventaire (2007) Chris Daughtry: Daughtry (2006) Nouvelle Star Winner American Idol Candidate 3x Platinum in France 4x Platinum Platinum in Belgium Gold in Switzerland Ruben Studdard: Soulful (2003) Christophe Willem: Caféine (2009) American Idol Winner Nouvelle Star Winner Platinum Alexander

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