Verizon Wireless’ Latin GRAMMY Trivia Challenge, the winner will receive a trip for two people to New York City to attend the blockbuster event, which includes airfare, two nights hotel accommodations and tickets to the show. To participate, fans with select phones simply TXT2WIN and send a TXT Message with the word “LATINGRAMMY” to 3331 for a chance to win. Participants can also answer Latin GRAMMY trivia questions for additional chances to win. Each question answered — whether correct or incorrect — is considered an entry. Contestants are permitted to submit up to 20 answers. A two-way TXT Messaging-capable phone is needed to send and receive TXT Messages and standard Verizon Wireless TXT Messaging rates apply. Fans may also enter online and view complete rules at http://www.verizonwireless.com/latingrammy.

Once Again

The Grand Prize winner will represent Verizon Wireless’ John Legend fans nationwide by taping a voice recorded introduction to the single that will be aired on radio stations as the song makes its debut across the country. The winner will also join the artist at a premier performance in Europe.

To participate, fans with select phones can send the text message “LEGEND” to 2227 to receive a multimedia message with audio samples of John Legend’s new unreleased songs “Show Me,” a spiritual love song reminiscent of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye — and “Heaven Only Knows,” the Kanye West produced song that deals with the ups and downs of relationships. Fans will then vote via text messaging which song they think should be the next released single. Verizon Wireless message charges apply.

Fans may also vote online for free at http://www.johnlegendconcerts.com.

On July 17, 2006, Janet — in conjunction with Yahoo! — launched “Design Me“  in which fans were able to download and “remix” images of the singer to come up with their own album covers. Four winners are to have their designs grace the first one million copies of Janet’s new album. When several fans submitted designs with covers that read “20 Y.O.” instead of “20 Years Old,” Janet liked it so much, she decided to officially change the album’s title. The CD hits stores on September 26th.

MTV viewers worldwide can enter the competition through http://www.mtv.tv/vma by describing their ultimate New York experience and why they are the best fan to win this amazing opportunity. The competition winners and their guests will receive VIP tickets to the 2006 VMAs; roundtrip flights to New York City, courtesy of American Airlines; three night hotel accommodations at the Chelsea Savoy Hotel; an excursion at the new “Top of the Rock” observation deck at Rockefeller Center; dinner at Tony’s DiNapoli Times Square Restaurant; a tour of The Museum of Modern Art; all on-the-ground transportation; and $300 spending money. In addition, while in New York, all 25 pairs of winners will be charged with the task of filming their own video diaries of their VMA experience. The footage that they shoot (camera and microphone will be provided) will then be used on local MTV Web sites and broadband services so that viewers everywhere can check out the winners’ video journal entries.

For complete details and competition rules, log on to http://www.mtv.tv/vma.

Beginning July 19 through August 21, (2006) contestants can post their videos for consideration at http://freestyle59.vh1.com. Five finalists will be selected and viewers will decide through online and mobile voting who has what it takes to be crowned the winner.

Beginning September 12, one finalist will be voted out of the competition each week until two MCs remain. The final two contestants will be flown to New York to attend the taping of the third annual “VH1 Hip Hop Honors.”

The winner will be announced during the broadcast of “VH1 Hip Hop Honors” on October 17 at 9PM (et) and will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to meet one of VH1’s 2006 hip hop honorees.

Hosted by Ice T, this year’s “VH1 Hip Hop Honors,” will pay tribute to Wu-Tang Clan, Afrika Bambaataa, Russell Simmons, MC Lyte, Rakim, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, and Eazy E. The VH1-created awards special honors hip hop’s pioneers and luminaries who have transformed this musical genre into a cultural phenomenon. The music and influence of each of the honorees will be recognized through performances by classic artists in collaboration with today’s hottest new talent.

Fans can download and “remix” the photographs to come up with their own version of the new album’s cover. Designs will each be assigned a link that users can send to friends and family.

The top four scoring finalists, as determined by Janet, will be declared the contest’s grand prize winners, and will see their design appear on selected publicly distributed copies of 20 Years Old. The remaining 16 finalists will be deemed runners-up, and will receive Janet’s entire album catalog on CD.

The design competition promises to stir up anticipation for the release of 20 Years Old, an album that executive producer Jermaine Dupri promises will “blow a new generation of minds” as it marks the anniversary of Janet’s career-making 1986 album, Control. Janet has re-teamed with her original collaborators, legendary hitmakers Jimmy “Jam” Harris and Terry Lewis, for 20 Years Old, which she has described as a celebration of what was going on musically back in the day when Control was released.

The album’s first single is the breezy, laid-back “Call On Me,” featuring St. Louis hip-hop star Nelly, which hit radio on June 19th and has already cracked the Top 40 pop chart and is a Top 15 track at urban radio.