Road to Nashville Talent Search Declares Winner

8/24/2007 Stephen L. Betts After four and half months of online voting, Capitol Records Nashville and Yahoo! have announced the winner of The Road to Nashville, an innovative, online country music talent search. Over two million people voted on the contest. Joshua Engel of Grand Prairie, Texas, won the grand prize, which consisted of $50,000 and a demo deal with Capitol Records Nashville. Of an initial 1,300 contestants, 10 finalists were flown to Nashville to perform a final, live audition at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Aug. 22 in front of an audience and panel of expert judges including singer Jamie O’Neal, Capitol Records Nashville CEO and President Mike Dungan, and Vice President of A&R for Capitol Records Nashville, Larry Willoughby.  Three of the 10 contestants were called back for a second performance and the judges unanimously declared Joshua Engel the grand prize winner.