McDonald's restaurant employees compete for prestigious "Voice of McDonald's" title

McDonald's celebrates 16 employees in global singing competition; awards finalist opportunity to win $25,000, appear in a McDonald's commercial and produce a record demo

By MARKETWIRE
December 16, 2011

OAK BROOK, IL  –  McDonald's announced today 16 talented restaurant employees from: Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States are semi-finalists in the Voice of McDonald's global singing competition. The semi-finalists are one step closer to becoming the next Voice of McDonald's champion as they descend on Orlando, Fla., U.S., in April for the experience of a lifetime complete with professional vocal and performance coaching. They'll also receive advice on launching a music career from industry-leading professionals. Past judges have included: Lady GaGa's manager Troy Carter, Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Richard Marx, Grammy award-winning producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo, Grammy award-winning R&B singer Estelle, prominent entertainment attorney and brand marketing strategist Ken Hertz and salsa singer Tito Nieves.

"Watching these talented employees reach for their dreams has been a tremendous source of inspiration and pride for our brand," said Rich Floersch, executive vice-president and chief human resources officer, McDonald's Corporation. "McDonald's has always been proud of the opportunities we offer our people and Voice of McDonald's is a great way to inspire our restaurant employees by providing them with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The Voice of McDonald's is a worldwide contest to discover, recognize and reward the most talented singers among McDonald's 1.7 million restaurant employees. This fourth edition of the competition started with an initial field of more than 20,000 entries, included more than 70 country contests and 30 live performances before the popular singing competition called on consumers in five markets and top music industry professionals to narrow the field to 16 contestants.

The 16 global semi-finalists are:

APMEA (Asia-Pacific/Middle East & Africa): Chrislyn Hamilton - Brisbane, Australia; Florence Rafols - Mankira, Philippines; Zac Taylor - Whakatane, New Zealand; Logan Walker - Auckland, New Zealand.

EUROPE: Kajsa Hallin - Orby, Sweden; Ksenia Kraynova - Ivanovo, Russia; Gil Meidar - Luzern, Switzerland; Dyscem Müldener - Munich, Germany.

LATIN AMERICA: Giovanne Pereira - Belém, Brazil; Pablo Rojas - Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lyam Soto - Fajardo, Puerto Rico; Will Torres - Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.