CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most high-profile talent show is returning for another season, and this time the stakes are even higher.
CitytvB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐anadaB次元官网网址檚 Got TalentB次元官网网址 has increased its top prize to $1 million, and one of its celebrity judges says that will be life-changing money for the lucky winner.
Comedian, actress and writer Lilly Singh says the million-dollar season puts a lot of pressure not just on the contestants, but also on the judges who will scrutinize more than 100 musical, dance, comedy and novelty acts.
The bumped-up award from CitytvB次元官网网址檚 parent company Rogers is billed as the biggest cash prize in Canadian television history.
The third season of the show, which kicks off Tuesday, will also award $25,000 each to six Golden Buzzer acts, or entertainers deemed good enough to progress from auditions straight to the semifinal.
The top prize is now much higher than the $150,000 awarded at the end of Season 2 to a dance troupe from Quebec.
B次元官网网址淚 mean this is truly life changing money,B次元官网网址 Singh said in an interview last fall, as she and the other judges B次元官网网址 Howie Mandel, Trish Stratus and Kardinal Offishall B次元官网网址 prepared to film audition episodes in Niagara Falls, Ont.
B次元官网网址淪omeoneB次元官网网址檚 life trajectory could change and so the stakes are really high on both sides,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淲e really are feeling the nerves.B次元官网网址
This seasonB次元官网网址檚 contestants hail from across the country, and they will try to dazzle the judges with their voices, dance moves and magic tricks, among other talents.
Aside from the massive top prize, another thing that will be different this season is the showB次元官网网址檚 use of Bollywood music.
Singh said one of the reasons why it was difficult to get South Asian acts on stage in previous seasons of B次元官网网址淐anadaB次元官网网址檚 Got TalentB次元官网网址 were the barriers to clearing Bollywood songs for use on the show.
She said she used her contacts at a major Indian music label to resolve a song clearance issue that surfaced in preparation for the showB次元官网网址檚 new season, opening the path toward an overall deal to ensure that Bollywood music can be used on B次元官网网址淐anadaB次元官网网址檚 Got Talent.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淲hich is important because naturally if you canB次元官网网址檛 use the music thatB次元官网网址檚 part of your culture, youB次元官网网址檙e at a disadvantage,B次元官网网址 Singh said. B次元官网网址淎nyone thatB次元官网网址檚 been following me knows that representation really means a lot to me.B次元官网网址
The first episode of the new season, hosted by Lindsay Ell, airs Tuesday night on Citytv and will also stream on Citytv Plus. The talent competition will culminate in a two-hour finale on May 14.
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