NBC ANNOUNCES NICK LACHEY AS HOST OF NEW SINGING GAME SHOW "THE WINNER IS" (WORKING TITLE) THAT SPOTLIGHTS TALENTED SINGERS FROM ALL AGES WHO MUST SING -- AND RESIST CASH OFFERS -- TO WIN A LIFE-CHANGING AMOUNT OF MONEY

Dueling Contestants to Be Judged by a Studio Audience; Before Hearing Their Fate Singers Must Decide to Accept a Cash Buyout to Leave the Competition or Continue the Game

Auditions to Be Held in Raleigh, N.C., Houston, Seattle and Philadelphia

Series Comes from Talpa Media USA, Inc. (NBC's "The Voice")

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - November 30, 2012 - Multi-talented singer and performing star Nick Lachey ("The Sing-Off") will host NBC's series "The Winner Is" (working title), a new hybrid singing game show that showcases talented singers of all ages -- male soloists, female soloists, kids, teens, singing groups, seniors, families, professionals -- all of whom will compete in head-to-head singing duels.

The contestants will come from all popular styles of music - R&B, country, gospel, pop, opera and hip hop, among others. They will be judged by a studio audience vote as they compete for a huge cash prize.

In addition, auditions for the new show will be held in Raleigh, N.C., Houston, Seattle and Philadelphia (more information below).

The show comes from Talpa Media USA, Inc. (NBC's "The Voice"). Creator John de Mol will executive-produce along with Craig Plestis ("Deal or No Deal") and Stijn Bakkers ("The Voice").

The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC.

"Nick is a versatile, seasoned host and we are thrilled to be working him," said Telegdy. "With Nick at the helm on air and an original format from Talpa that includes surprising and competitive twists, viewers are sure to be immersed and entertained."

On "The Winner Is" singing contestants from all across America are given the chance of a lifetime to win a huge sum of money in record time. Each duel sees two singers go head to head to give their ultimate performance. After each singing showdown, the studio audience votes for the best performer. Losing a duel means a player is out of the game. But before the winner is revealed the players must test their nerves by resisting a cash offer to leave the game for good. If they're confident they performed better than their opponent, they can await the audience vote to see if they've made it to the next round and one step closer to the ultimate grand prize.

In the grand finale, eight episode winners continue to compete until just two amazing singing contestants remain. Then the two finalists must make a crucial decision. After their performance, they each get the chance to walk away with tens of thousands of dollars or they can risk that huge amount of cash by awaiting the audience vote for the chance to win a life-changing sum of money.

The contestants on "The Winner Is" need to be certain of their talent but should never underestimate their opponents as they're literally asked to put their money where their mouth is.

Lachey, a multi-platinum recording artist, actor and television personality, first rose to stardom as the frontman of the popular band 98 Degrees, selling 10 million albums worldwide and charting several Top-40 hits. Lachey later went onto star in "Newlyweds," one of MTV's most successful shows in the network's history. In 2003, he launched an enormously successful solo album career for which his second record "What's Left of Me," went to #2 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.

Most recently, Lachey hosted three seasons of NBC's "The Sing Off" which aired in primetime in December of 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. In July 2011, he hosted NBC's star-studded "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular" and has co-hosted "Live with Kelly" alongside Kelly Ripa on several occasions throughout 2012. Lachey has also starred on variety of popular television series, including "Hawaii Five-O," "Charmed," "One Tree Hill" and "Hope & Faith." In addition, Lachey has hosted several major national network programs and specials such as "High School Musical: Get in the Picture" and "Clash of the Choirs" (where Team Lachey took home the championship and a check for $250,000 for the Cincinnati Children's Hospital). Behind the scenes, Lachey created and executive-produced the hit MTV series "Taking the Stage" based on the lives of students at his beloved alma mater the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati which ran for two seasons.

In addition to his success in the music and television industries, his love of sports motivated him to become an owner of the Tacoma Rainiers, a Triple A minor league baseball team affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. Lachey also remains a constant advocate VH-1 Save The Music, Feeding America, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He is also founder and President of The Nick Lachey Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping children, families and communities in need throughout the United States. For additional information, please visit www.nicklachey.com.

Audition sites for the show and relevant information are listed below:

Saturday, December 8

RALEIGH, N.C.
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Longbranch L:ive Music Venue
608 Creekside Dr.
Raleigh, N.C. 27609

SEATTLE
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Hard Rock Café
116 Pike St.
Seattle, Wash., 98101

Saturday, December 15

HOUSTON
11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Hard Rock Café
500 Texas St.
Houston, Texas 77002

PHILADELPHIA
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Trocadero Theatre
1003 Arch St.
Philadelphia, Pa. 19107

For more information on casting, please visit www.singinggameshow.com or www.nbc.com/casting

"The Winner Is" is a presentation of Talpa Media USA Inc. and NBC Studios. The series is created by John de Mol, who executive-produces along with Craig Plestis and Stijn Bakkers.