WOR Radio 710 HD has announced its fourth annual “Shining Star Talent Search,” which benefits tri-state New York City schools and students by supporting arts curriculums and providing cash prizes to winning students.

$10,000 goes to the school attended by the Shining Star winner!

Students in grades 7-12 across the tri-state area have been invited to sing a song of their choice and to submit their recording to WOR Radio. For entry information, visit www.wor710.com.

Last year, Cheyenne Elliot, an eighth-grader at Hommocks Middle School in Mamaroneck, was the first runner up. She will be interviewed at 7:20 a.m. Friday April 4th on WOR. Be sure to check it out, and good luck to her this year!

“The ‘Shining Star Talent Search’ provides students with an opportunity to showcase their artistic talents and creativity,” said New Jersey Commissioner of Education Lucille E. Davy. “As a student I was actively involved in the arts, and I encourage young people in grades 7-12 to take part in this competition.”

“Children living in New York City grow up in a rich and diverse musical environment, and we have made great efforts to cultivate our students’ musical gifts,” said Sharon Dunn, Senior Instructional Manager for Arts Education at the New York City Department of Education. “We are delighted that this program offers New York City schoolchildren an opportunity to showcase their creativity and talent.”

Throughout the competition, students will be interviewed and their entries will be played on The WOR Morning Show with Joe Bartlett and Donna Hanover.

After a rigorous internal judging process, the top 25 Semi-Finalists will each win $100 and perform live in front of their family, friends and a judging panel of entertainment industry professionals at WOR’s Shining Star Sing-Off at the New York Downtown Marriott Grand Ballroom on Sunday, June 8, 2008.

The judges will choose their top six finalists whose performances will be aired on WOR and voted on by the listeners.

The winner and first and second runners-up will perform before thousands of attendees at WOR’s Get Healthy Expo to be held at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center on June 21st.

The cash prizes to students are as follows: the Shining Star Winner gets $2,500 and a professional recording session with Kamen Entertainment Group NYC. The first runner-up gets $1,500, and the second runner-up gets $750.

WOR Radio has a long tradition of supporting education and giving back to the communities we serve. Pop icon, Broadway performer, and original “Shining Star” winner Deborah Gibson credits WOR with helping to get her career started when she won a WOR song writing competition. Last year’s winner of WOR’s Shining Star Talent Search was Blair Goldberg from the Long Island High School for the Arts. Previous winners have been from New Jersey, including Alexandra Hausner from Fair Lawn High School and Jonathan Schwartz from Cranford High School.

This year’s Shining Star Talent Search is made possible by J&R Music and Computer World.