The Heat Is On For 'Voice of McDonald's' Finalists

ORLANDO, Fla., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- They've traveled thousands of miles, spent hundreds of hours singing note upon note, and now it all comes down to one final performance. The dreams of one vocally talented McDonald's restaurant employee will come true this Thursday as he or she is named the next "Voice of McDonald's" $25,000 grand prize winner. Following last night's semi-final competition, when 14 hopefuls delighted the audience at McDonald's 2008 Worldwide Convention in Orlando, Fla., three competitors move to the grand finale: Candido Revilles, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Mary Margaret Yu, Davao City, Philippines; and Natercia Pintor, Lisbon, Portugal.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080415/AQTU091)

Competitors were scored last night by a respected panel of judges, including Grammy Award-winning song writer and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.

"What a tough decision," said Jerkins. "I was so inspired to see how much heart the contestants poured into their performances and how musically talented they are. They all deserve a standing ovation for going for their dreams."

Voice of McDonald's is arguably the largest global singing competition of its kind, open to the 1.6 million McDonald's crew members and managers in 118 countries. More than 3,600 talented singers entered the contest. Now, the three motivated finalists are gearing up for one last musical showdown on Thursday, April 17. Each will have one last opportunity to perform his or her best song in front of multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning artist and songwriter Ne-Yo; Jody Gerson, co-president, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; and Ken Hertz, senior partner, Goldring, Hertz and Lichtenstein, LLP. In addition to winning $25,000, the winner will receive a trip for two to the "American Idol(TM)" Season 7 finale in Los Angeles next month.

"I can't begin to describe how transforming this experience has been for me," said Candido Revilles, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. "I never thought I'd have the chance to compete for such a huge prize and sing for an important music producer like Rodney Jerkins."

Since arriving on their all-expense paid trip to Orlando, contestants have been busy working with vocal coaches and learning an original song written especially for this competition. The three finalists performed the song together during yesterday's semi-finals. Contestants have also had the opportunity to bond with their colleagues from around the world and meet top McDonald's executives.

Voice of McDonald's II is just one example of the opportunities McDonald's creates to celebrate the talents of its employees around the world. This program is a fun way to honor our people and let their voices be heard.

About McDonald's

McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants in more than 100 countries. More than 75% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by franchisees and affiliates. Please visit our website at http://www.mcdonalds.com to learn more about the Company.

McDonald's and the Voice of McDonald's II logo are trademarks of McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates.