The Fans Have Spoken: Ten Acts Selected as Finalists in Search for Five “Book the Band” Winners to Play 2011 Virgin Mobile FreeFest

WARREN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virgin Mobile USA’s fifth annual Book the Band contest is under way. The public has participated in the open casting call on Whooznxt.com by giving their favorite bands the most social media traction, and 10 bands have made it to the final round. The five bands with the most online votes will win “Book the Band” and get to perform at Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2011 presented by Kyocera.

“Virgin Mobile FreeFest is all about giving back to the fans, and we expect the Whooznxt Book the Band stage to be one of the most popular areas at FreeFest. We are really looking forward to seeing which bands win.”

Starting today through Sept. 4, fans can vote for their favorite finalists at www.facebook.com/virginmobilelive. The five winning bands – based on total number of votes by the public – will perform Sept. 10 on the Whooznxt Book the Band stage at FreeFest, at Merriweather Pavilion in Columbia, Md. The winning bands will be announced Sept. 5 on www.facebook.com/virginmobilelive.

“This is our fifth successful year of our Book the Band contest and to honor the overwhelming response we’re upping the ante and bringing not one but five bands to FreeFest this year,” said Felicia Hill, manager of Viral Campaigns & Brand Initiatives, Virgin Mobile USA. “Virgin Mobile FreeFest is all about giving back to the fans, and we expect the Whooznxt Book the Band stage to be one of the most popular areas at FreeFest. We are really looking forward to seeing which bands win.”

Virgin Mobile USA, a leading no-contract wireless brand, and Whooznxt, the leading platform that rewards the online activity of artists with real-world exposure, have announced 10 finalist bands chosen among hundreds of bands based on receiving the most social network traction from fans:

Kingsfoil – rock band from York, Pa.
Colorsound – pop-rock band from Montreal
Run On the Sun – piano pop-rock band from Greenwich, Conn.
Clear For Takeoff – pop-rock/alternative band from Ellicott City, Md.
New Sweden – Americana/folk/indie band from Wilmington, Del.
Fourth Quarter Comeback – pop-rock / power-pop band from Fairfax, Va.
Jennifer Logue – indie/pop artist from New York
Coyote Theory – indie/experimental rock from Orlando, Fla.
Alex Feather Akimov – rock/pop/fusion from Los Angeles
Ian Axel – pop artist from Fair Lawn, N.J.

All the bands that entered were included in the first phase of the contest on Whooznxt.com. Whooznxt.com tracked the artists’ social media growth, presented the 10 finalists to Virgin Mobile, and now fans have the chance to decide which five artists will receive the opportunity to perform at the festival.

ABOUT VIRGIN MOBILE USA

Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint's prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk™ No Contract plans for mobile phone service and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access. Virgin Mobile branded devices are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and RadioShack. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide and can be used for Assurance Wireless and Broadband2Go services. Purchase and experience Virgin Mobile on the Web and at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and www.virginmobileusa.com.

ABOUT WHOOZNXT

WHOOZNXT.COM is the first and only media network that rewards emerging artists for growing their digital fan base with real-world, high-profile exposure opportunities for TV, radio and live performances. Each month, the platform tracks an artist’s fan growth across top social networks and music portals. Artists with the most growth are eligible for major performance opportunities, such as ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!," the Vans Warped Tour, Dew Tour, and House of Blues Concerts as well as the opportunity to plug into a major media network, such as Comcast, USA Today, Time Warner Cable or SPIN. WHOOZNXT shifts the balance of possibilities in the artist's favor by translating their digital fans into unparalleled access to new audiences through online promotion and traditional media channels.

WHOOZNXT's parent company NXTM digitally represents top-tier artists such as Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake. Led by a former senior MTV executive, NXTM extends its superstar toolkit and premium exposure opportunities to tomorrow's superstars. For more information or to sign up, visit: www.WHOOZNXT.com.