THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE & mtvU TEAM UP WITH ARTISTS IMAGINE DRAGONS, RITA ORA AND STEVE AOKI TO HELP AWARD 2013-2014 FULBRIGHT-mtvU FELLOWSHIPS

Application Period for Fulbright-mtvU Fellows Open through March 1, 2013

New York, NY - February 1, 2013 - The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, announced today the new line-up of musical artists who will review and help nominate candidates for the 2013-2014 Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships. The review panel includes: rock band Imagine Dragons, who are headlining a two month North American tour commencing February 8 behind their platinum-selling single, "It's Time" and their gold-certified debut album "Night Visions;" British singer-songwriter and "2013 BRIT Awards" nominee Rita Ora; and DJ/Producer and founder of Dim Mak Records Steve Aoki.

"It's an honor to be a small part of a program that does so much good. Music is such a universal means of communication - it seems fitting that the Fulbright Fellowship uses it as a tool to make a positive cross-culture impact," said Imagine Dragons. "We're excited to see the applicants' proposals."

"When mtvU approached me about being involved in the Fulbright scholarship selection process, I agreed without hesitation. As a proud alumnus of UCSB, with a double major in Social Science and Women's Studies, I know first-hand how important a college education is," said Steve Aoki. "Without that experience I don't know that I would have been able to successfully start and operate my own label, Dim Mak, for more than 15 years. I'm excited and proud to be able to help others to further their education."

The Fellowships, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by the Institute of International Education, were established to promote the "power of music" as a global force for mutual understanding. Applications for the 2013-2014 Fellowships are being accepted now through March 1, 2013, with more information available at http://www.us.fulbrightonline.org or http://www.fulbright.mtvU.com. The final selection will be made by the Presidentially-appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Winners of the 2012-2013 Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships are currently conducting research in Kosovo, India, Barbados and Botswana for one academic year - on projects of their own design - around an aspect of international musical culture. The four 2012 winners include Albulena Shabani, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Jeff Roy, a Ph.D. student at UCLA, Katherine Cloutier, a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University and Sebastian Modak, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. The winners were chosen through a multi-tiered, merit-based selection process beginning with field and discipline merit reviews by U.S. and foreign academic leaders and area experts. Each has been sharing her or his experiences with peers via video reports, blogs and podcasts on mtvU and http://www.fulbright.mtvU.com.

About mtvU:

Broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via top cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches nearly 9 million U.S. college students - making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S., as well as on cable systems from Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, Suddenlink Communications, AT&T u-Verse and nearly 70 others. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are: on-air, online and on the campus. mtvU programs music videos from emerging artists that can't be seen anywhere else, news, student life features and initiatives that give college students the tools to advance positive social change. mtvU is always on campus, with hundreds of events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and a complete programming schedule, visit http://www.mtvU.com

About Fulbright:

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 310,000 participants from over 155 countries with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.