Since the release of their debut #1 UK single, "All Time Low," two years ago (from their self-titled debut album of 2010), The Wanted – Tom Parker, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, and Nathan Sykes – have become a global sensation. After piling up a string of five top 3 singles in the UK, success has come quickly in the U.S. Their breakthrough U.S. single, "Glad You Came" spent 15 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, reaching #3. Their follow up, "Chasing the Sun" is currently the #1 song on the Billboard Dance/Club Play chart and is the featured song in the #1 movie Ice Age: Continental Drift. The Wanted have artfully transcended the ‘boy band’ mold and brought a blast of much-needed fresh air to pop music.

 

 

Mindless Behavior – comprised of Prodigy, Roc Royal, Ray Ray and Princeton – released their full-length debut album #1 Girl in September 2011 to critical acclaim on Streamline/Conjunction/Interscope Records. The album, which debuted in the Top Ten of the Billboard Top 200 album chart, has sold over 270,000 copies, 2.9 million ringtones, and over 650,000 singles and with the infectious tracks "Hello," "My Girl," "Mrs. Right," amongst others. Mindless Behavior have racked up over 120 million views on YouTube, over 1.4 million Facebook fans, and have been crowned "the princes of social media" by Teen Vogue.

 

After achieving worldwide success with his platinum selling major label debut album Ocean Eyes and his first U.S. #1 single, "Fireflies" in 2009, when it came time to record The Midsummer Station, Adam Young’s third album as Owl City, the Minnesota native set himself the following challenge: "Over the past several years I'd become fascinated with trying to capture magic in a jar through simple, concise pop songs," he says. On the album’s first single, the incredibly infectious pop gem "Good Time," Young is joined in a duet by "Call Me Maybe" star Carly Rae Jepsen. Young being a fan of Jepsen, reached out to her about collaborating on a song upon learning that she was also a fan of his.  This mutual admiration and excitement to work together can be heard on "Good Time" – an undeniable summer anthem.

 

A star of stage and screen, Matthew Morrison has been nominated for Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Morrison currently stars in "Glee," the Fox hit musical comedy series in which he stars as Will Schuester, Morrison studied musical theater, vocal performance and dance at New York University’s renowned Tisch School of the Arts. His big Broadway break came when he was cast as heartthrob Link Larkin in the hit "Hairspray." Morrison was later nominated for a Tony Award for his role in "The Light in the Piazza," and received a Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for "10 Million Miles." He also starred in the Tony Winning revival of "South Pacific" at Lincoln Center Theater in New York.

A lot has changed for the now 14 year old, Rachel Crow, since she won the hearts of America on last season’s X-Factor. A top finalist on the show, Crow has since inked a deal with Columbia Records and a development deal with Nickelodeon; starring in episodes of Big Time Rush, FRED the Show, and Figure It Out! She performed for the White House at this year’s Eater Egg Roll, released her first EP, and is wrapping up her summer arena tour with Big Time Rush. With her heartfelt first single, Mean Girls, starting to impact and a full length album in the works, 2012 is poised to be a breakthrough year for this young superstar.

 

Missy Franklin, 17, is an Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, who won four gold medals this summer at the 2012 London Olympics. She set the world record on her way to winning the 200m backstroke in London and also won gold in the 100m backstroke, the 4x200m freestyle relay and the 4x100m medley relay and won a bronze in the 4x100m meter relay.

It has been nothing short of a whirlwind: The then youngest-ever winner of American Idol, Jordin Sparks was just seventeen years old when she won the coveted title. In the four years that have followed, Jordin has released two albums on 19 Recordings/Jive Records. The first three singles of "Jordin Sparks" went top 5 and the album’s second single, "No Air" selling 4 million digital downloads. Jordin’s second release, 2009’s Battlefield, debuted on the Billboard Album chart at number seven and the first single, also called "Battlefield," reached the top ten on the Billboard Singles Chart and the second single, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)," topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, becoming Jordin’s first #1. Sparks has toured with Alicia Keys, The Jonas Brothers, New Kids On The Block/Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. 2012 is notable as it is the year that Jordin makes her feature film debut as the lead in the upcoming Sony Picture film Sparkle, set to be released August 17th. The film also stars the late Whitney Houston, Cee Lo Green and Mike Epps. The first official single from the soundtrack of the film, Sparkle: Music from the Motion Picture, features a duet by Jordin and Whitney Houston.

 

As an established Television Host and Personality, Quddus’ love for Music and the Arts has swept Generation Next as he has skillfully positioned himself as one of the hottest talents in entertainment. Currently, Quddus is the host of Duets, ABC’s summer music competition franchise. Quddus has hosted such shows as TVOne Access and Nickelodeon’s Dance on Sunset, been a correspondent for Access Hollywood and has appeared on CSI: Miami, CW’s Half & Half (2005), Girlfriends (2007) and in the indie film Life is Hot in Cracktown (2009). On the music front, Quddus made his impact felt as an A&R consultant for MySpace Records where he discovered and signed R&B sensation Mateo. Philanthropy has always been important to Quddus as well. He is the spokesperson for Keep the Drive, a teen–to-teen movement to encourage smart driving among youth, Free the Slaves, a movement against modern-day slavery, and since 2001, has been the host of Arthur Ashe Kids' Day.

 

NHL All-Star, Olympian and New York Rangers Alternate Captain Brad Richards is participating in his first Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the US Open. In his first season with the Rangers in 2011-12, Richards played a key role in leading the Blueshirts to the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. A 12-year NHL veteran, Richards has played for the Rangers, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning and was a member of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup Championship team. A native of Murray Harbour, PEI, Canada, Richards is a previous winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy and was the 2004 recipient of the Lady Bing Trophy, awarded to the player who exhibits the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct on the ice. Richards helped Canada to the championship of the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and was a member of Team Canada during the 2006 Winter Olympics. He has dedicated a big portion of his career to giving back through the Brad Richards Foundation, which he established to provide exceptional experiences and treatment for children and families enduring chronic and life threatening illness. His foundation also supports the advancement of youth and amateur sports. Richards is long-time friend of John Isner with whom he trained while living in Tampa.

The Michigan-born, Nashville-based 19-year-old fraternal twin sisters pen pop anthems that are as infectious as they are inspiring. Because of those tunes, the girls have resonated with an entire generation of fans via social media. Right now, they've racked up more than 160 million views and over 825,000 subscribers on YouTube and their music channel is ranked #30 overall. Megan & Liz have charted on Billboard’s Top 50 Social chart and trended worldwide on Twitter multiple times, a testament to their impassioned social media power. Their debut album is on the way featuring a new sound and maturity as heard in its infectious first single "Bad For Me" – impacting at radio and featured prominently in Macy’s national mstylelab television ad campaign.

 

Ahsan’s exuberant, expressive tenor commands immediate attention—something people are discovering as they listen to his fearless cover of Smokey Robinson’s "Who’s Loving You" on YouTube. The unerring tonality of his vocals; the wellspring of emotion he draws from… both belie Ahsan’s young age—mirroring the jaw-dropping reactions a pre-teen Michael Jackson sparked with his own recording of the Robinson song in 1970. The ensuing buzz over the YouTube clip (nearly 200,000 views and growing) prompted Interscope to bring the engaging North New Jersey native to Los Angeles where he is currently recording his debut album.

 

Alex's love for performing began in first grade when he become the celebrity of his elementary school, singing the closing song at just about every performance and leaving a wake of breathlessness behind him. Feeling the power of reaching into people emotionally registered deeply in Alex then and now. With his charisma and handsome confidence, he is only naturally taking it to the next level. This is what brought the Aiono clan to L.A. Alex has become quite the workaholic. He writes songs, takes dance classes, practices guitar and piano and has recording sessions. He does his chores (his 3 sisters don't let him off that easy) and every day he plays his biggest fans—his 3 sisters—his newest song. At the young age of 16, Alex has already worked with writers/producers: Billy Mann, Babyface, Tearce Kizzo, B0yBlue, MachoPsycho, Jaiden "The Cure," Corey Chorus and his idol, John Legend. In this pop space of heavily manufactured artists, Alex holds a "do-it-yourself" philosophy and insists on being an Independent artist. Alex has co-written over 40 songs, and continues to develop his writing skills. In his recent partnership with Maker Studio, Alex will begin sharing his music with the digital world.

 

Formed by Emmy Award mixer and sound designer Charlie Jones, the group consists of four teenage girls from New York City, Claire Jones, Noni Storm Chinn, Taylor Nirvana Jones and Sammi Sanchez. Often compared to Mindless Behavior, they are the ultimate urban girl group – teenage versions of Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Lauryn Hill combined. "Love Jones" is a throwback to the 1970s term that means "a deep love" and these girlz have a Love Jones for performing. Love Jones Girlz is currently on their first promotional tour to promote the hit single and music video, "The Party Don’t Start Without Me" available on various digital platforms including iTunes. The targeted release date for the debut album "Addicted to Lipgloss" is August 21st.

 

Roger Federer is currently the No. 1 ranked player in the world and has been ranked No. 1 for the most total weeks of any men's player in history at 289 and counting. He is also the men's all-time Grand Slam leader with a record 17 major singles titles, including the 2012 Wimbledon title and five US Open crowns as part of his incredible total of 75 career titles. He is also one of only seven men to have completed the career Grand Slam, winning titles at all four Grand Slam events.

 

Serena Williams is one of the greatest women's tennis players of all-time with 14 Grand Slam singles titles and she recently became only the second woman in history to complete the Career Golden Grand Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in singles. She won her first singles Olympic gold this summer in London and also won her third Olympic gold medal in doubles with sister Venus Williams.

 

Novak Djokovic is one of the best tennis players in the world, the holder of five Grand Slam singles titles, including the 2012 Australian Open, and has won 30 titles overall in his career. Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slam singles titles in 2011, winning the Australian Open as well as his first career Wimbledon and US Open crowns and ascended to world No. 1 for the first time last summer.

 

Kim Clijsters has won three US Open women's singles titles and an Australian Open title as part of her the 41 overall titles she has won in her illustrious career. She is a former world No. 1, which she first reached back in 2003, and returned to professional tennis in 2009 after an over two-year absence to have her first child.

 

Andy Roddick is the 2003 US Open champion and former world No. 1 player as well as being one of the greatest American men's players of all-time. He has won 32 career titles and is one of the best players in U.S. Davis Cup Team history with 33 career singles wins.

Mardy Fish is the second-highest ranked American man in the world and reached his career-high of No. 7 in the world in 2011. Fish has won six career titles and has also been an important part of the U.S. Davis Cup Team, helping lead the U.S. to an upset of Switzerland in the first round this past February.

 

Christina McHale is currently the second-highest ranked American woman in the world at a career-high No. 24 and is the No. 21 seed for women's singles at the 2012 US Open. One of the rising young stars on the WTA Tour, McHale, 20, has reached the third round at the last four Grand Slams and made her debut for the U.S. Olympic Team this summer.

Ryan Harrison, 20, is a rising American star, currently ranked No. 61 in the world, and ended 2011 as the youngest player ranked in the year-end top 100. He made his U.S. Davis Cup Team and U.S. Olympic Team debut this year and holds two career ATP doubles titles.

Sloane Stephens is ranked a career-high No. 46 in the world and this year advanced to the fourth round at the 2012 French Open and the third round at Wimbledon. At just 19, she is also the fourth-highest ranked American woman in the world.