Whole Foods Launches Online Music Contest

Whole Foods Market has teamed up with VH1 with a first-ever competition showcasing the musical talents of its Team Members in which viewers can vote for online.

The company's internal contest, called Raw and Unprocessed, kicked off in April and is now going public for music fans to choose a winner from 10 finalists who made the cut from 729 entries.

"Whole Foods Market Team Members are as creative and gifted as they are diverse, and this competition is a fun new way to highlight their musical talents in a way that might help them fulfill their dreams," said Sirr Less, global VP of communications for Whole Foods Market. "We were blown away by the talent exhibited by our Team Members and we appreciate VH1 for providing an outlet to showcase their abilities and help them pursue their passions."

Anyone can listen and vote daily for their favorite song at rawandunprocessed.com now through August 31, for a chance to win a trip for two to Napa Valley to attend the exclusive "Live in the Vineyard" music festival in November. "Live in the Vineyard" is a private festival that gives attendees access to A-list recording artists, top tier wine makers and world-renowned chefs. There is a limit of one vote per person each day.

At the concert, the winning Whole Foods Market musician(s) will be the opening act for an artist from the VH1 You Oughta Know franchise, which highlights up-and-coming musicians across its national platform. This special opportunity offers exposure to an audience of exclusive music influencers and executives.

The Whole Foods Market Team Member finalists are:

• Anita Coats from the Thousand Oaks store in California,
• Joy Gallagher from the Gglobal headquarters in Texas,
• Sarah Johnson from the Gold Coast store and Jonah Kort from the Lincoln Park store in Illinois,
• Allen Lopez from the Coral Gables store in Florida,
• Ali Luna from the Santa Cruz store in California,
• Jay Parshall from the Bridgeport store in Oregon,
• Zachary Porlier from the Naperville store in Illinois,
• Matthew Rigdon and Kris Nelson from the Global Headquarters in Texas,
• Derek Schultz from the Haight store and Colin Hayes from the Blithedale store in California, and
• Naomi Zep from the Redwood City store and Nadia Zep from the Los Altos store in California.

"We're proud to partner with the good people at Whole Foods Market on this engaging program that extends our popular 'You Oughta Know' discovery concept beyond the traditional music industry," said Stephanie Werner, VP, marketing promotions and partnerships at VH1. "We can't wait for music lovers across the country to hear the exceptional talent that we know is part of the Whole Foods Market family."

Whole Foods invited Team Members from across the country to submit original music for the contest. A regional and then national panel of Whole Foods Team Members reviewed the entries to narrow down to the 10 finalists to be voted on by the public.

In addition to the opportunity to play before a captive audience at the Live in the Vineyard concert, the winner will also get a professionally-produced music video and additional exposure through a concert with a VH1 You Oughta Know artist at the Whole Foods Napa store in November. The winning artist will also nab a coveted Creative Music Integration deal with VH1, with the opportunity to have their original music featured within a VH1 show or promotion.
Viewers can follow the program and listen to the finalists, tune into the www.rawandunprocessed.comRaw and Unprocessed website, as well as join in the conversation online at #wfmmusic.