FIRST CONTESTANTS ON "RISING STAR" ANNOUNCED

WHOSE PERFORMANCE WILL RAISE THE WALL? FIND OUT SUNDAY, JUNE 22 ON ABC!

The first set of phenomenal singers from across the country will perform on this Sunday's premiere of ABC's hotly-anticipated new series, "Rising Star," SUNDAY, JUNE 22, (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET; check local listings) on the ABC Television Network. They are:

Lisa Punch, Age 21, Brooklyn, NY
Joshua Peavy, Age 28, Soperton, GA
Jesse Kinch, Age 20, Seaford, NY
Maneepat Myra Molloy, Age 16, Los Angeles, CA
Sarah Darling, Age 31, Nashville, TN
Summer Collins, Age 18, Fayetteville, NC
Daniel & Olivia, (Daniel Wolfe, Age 24 and Olivia Thai, Age 25) San Gabriel Valley, CA
Colin Huntley, Age 16, Georgetown, TX
Beyond 5, Nashville, TN
(Members of Beyond 5: Zac Love, Age 19; Tanner Myler, Age 19; TJ Ryan, Age 16; Patch Crowe, Age 19; Ammon Soloasa Tuimaualuga, Age 17)

Internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter Josh Groban will host, and country music superstar Brad Paisley, music sensation Kesha and hip hop artist and actor Ludacris, comprise the expert panel on ABC's "Rising Star," the next evolution of live television. "Rising Star" completely reinvents the traditional singing competition as--for the first time ever--the audience has the final say in real time. The show follows a group of aspiring singers as they perform live. During the performances, viewers vote in real time via an App to determine if the singer will advance in the competition. If the voting reaches a certain threshold, the performer moves on. In addition, the performer can see how the voting is going throughout the performance, so the feedback is immediate and dramatic.

To vote for your favorite contestants, home judges (viewers) can download the Rising Star ABC app through the Apple App Store, Windows Market Place, or the Google Play Store. The App is essential to participate in the voting process, but it's totally FREE and easy to use. Just register with your Facebook or Twitter account, and you're ready to go. Before each performance, you'll be asked to check-in, and then when it's time to vote, swipe BLUE (to the right) to vote YES or RED (to the left) to vote NO. You'll see the results of the vote in REAL TIME on television - even if you are on the West Coast. In just seconds, your votes determine whether the wall rises, whether a contestant moves on or goes home, or if you're on the West Coast, whether a lucky contestant gets a second chance. And IF you give us permission through the app, you might also see your Facebook or Twitter profile picture on the Rising Star wall. To learn more on how to vote, click here.

"Rising Star" opened the gate to a new era in reality competition when the executive producers, Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Nicolle Yaron ("The Voice"), kicked off a nationwide search for talent earlier this year. The show accepted submissions online, via Instagram, and production members traveled to Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Boston for in person auditions. Beginning June 22, the contestants winnowed down by that search will have their moment onstage in "Rising Star" with viewers deciding who wins.

The series airs over 10 weeks. The first 3 weeks - "Qualifiers"-- showcase approximately 30 acts, and these episodes will be 2 hours each. Beginning July 13, the series is one hour weekly. The next phases of competition are the duels - where acts compete one-on-one. Those who survive return for the Quarterfinal and perhaps Semifinal rounds, as the field continues to narrow until the night of the Finals, when just 1 of the remaining acts will be named the "Rising Star" winner.

June 22, 9-11 p.m. ET - Qualifiers
June 29, 9-11 p.m. ET - Qualifiers
July 6, 9-11 p.m. ET - Qualifiers
July 13, 9-10 p.m. ET - Duels
July 20, 9-10 p.m. ET - Duels
July 27, 9-10 p.m. ET- Duels
August 3, 9-10 p.m. ET- Quarterfinals
August 10, 9-10 p.m. ET - Quarterfinals
August 17, 9-10 p.m. ET- Semifinals
August 24, 9-10 p.m. ET - Finals

"Rising Star" is executive produced in the U.S. by Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Nicolle Yaron ("The Voice"). The series is from Keshet DCP, the joint venture between Keshet International (KI), the global distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group, and DC Media, the parent company of dick clark productions (dcp).