Instead of coming out with a third season of “Can You Duet,” CMT instead has partnered with Legacy Entertainment, 19 Entertainment (producer of American Idol and Can You Duet) and Big Red 2 Entertainment to launch CMT’s Next Superstar.  The show  will find the 10 finalists (more on them below) competing to impress celebrity guests each week through a series of ‘music business related challenges’ and ‘grueling’ performance rounds.  Each week, one finalist will be eliminated and America will have the final vote on who will be crowned the winner of the show and thus gain the title of “CMT’s Next Superstar.”

The top 10 finalists were selected via auditions in Los Angaeles, Nashville, Austin and Dallas as well through private showcases around the country and through an online competition at www.ourstage.com.  Talent scouts also sought contestants through other industry connections and honky tonks. Basically, they looked anywhere they may find strong singer/songwriters and came up with these folks below:

  The Top 10 Finalists:

·         Bri Bagwell, 23, Las Cruces, N.M.

·         Adrienne Beasley, 22, Wickliffe, Ky.

·         Courtney Cole, 24, Mandeville, La.

·         Danielle Lauderdale, 23, Orange Park, Fla.

·         Andrea Person, 29, Kelowna, British Columbia

·         Steven Clawson, 29, Thomasville, Ga.

·         Matt Dame, 37, Batesville, Ark.

·         Matt Mason, 25, Fairland, Ind.

·         Ben Smith, 29, Gainesville, Texas

·         Wynn Varble, 50, Hampshire, Tenn.