MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Starkey Hearing Foundation's domestic public awareness campaign Listen Carefully announced its second national video contest (http://www.listencarefully.org/video-contest). The contest challenges middle and high school students to create a 30-second video PSA about noise-induced hearing loss. Dot Records recording artists Maddie & Tae— the duo behind Billboard's #1 PLATINUM-selling single "Girl in a Country Song"—will perform a private concert at the winner's school in May 2016.
"We are so honored to be working with the Starkey Hearing Foundation as hearing loss is such an important issue," stated Maddie. Added Tae "It affects so many people – young and old – and we are determined to make people aware of the risks."
Maddie & Tae's newly-released album, Start Here, and forthcoming headline tour—kicking off October 7 in New York—will serve as a vehicle for generating awareness about noise-induced hearing loss and help raise funds for Starkey Hearing Foundation's hearing health initiatives. Through the GoRaff platform, Maddie & Tae fans will have unique opportunities to win VIP experiences and merchandise from the band by entering the online raffle. The grand prize is VIP package to a Maddie & Tae concert.
More than 3,000 students from all 50 states participated in the 2015 video contest. The prizewinners from Woodbridge High School in Irvine, California—Ken Nakama, Dan Lesser and Josh Maslaki—brought Grammy-nominated artist Aloe Blacc to their school for a private concert in April 2015, with special appearances by Chris Massey, Kyle Massey and Caroline Sunshine.
Thousands of teachers and hearing professionals from across the nation will help promote this year's contest. To learn more about Listen Carefully and the video contest visit listencarefully.org.
About Listen Carefully
Listen Carefully is the Starkey Hearing Foundation's domestic public awareness campaign to educate Americans about noise-induced hearing loss and prevent a hearing loss epidemic. Currently, one in six American teenagers suffers from hearing loss due to high-volume sounds, such as loud concerts, ear buds, hair dryers, lawn mowers, and sports venues. Teen hearing loss has increased 30 percent in the last decade alone, and the trend is approaching epidemic proportions. Noise-induced hearing loss is irreversible, but preventable. Visit listencarefully.org or http://www.listencarefully.org/video-contest for more information.
About Starkey Hearing Foundation
Starkey Hearing Foundation uses hearing as a vehicle to reflect caring and change lives around the world. Disabling hearing loss affects more than 360 million people, including 32 million children, worldwide, yet many do not have access to the hearing devices that can help them. Starkey Hearing Foundation has pledged to provide more than one million hearing aids to people in need this decade and currently gives more than 175,000 hearing aids annually. Starkey Hearing Foundation also promotes hearing health awareness and education through the Listen Carefully campaign and provides hearing instruments to low-income Americans through the Hear Now program. Started as the philanthropic effort of Starkey Hearing Technologies, Starkey Hearing Foundation was founded by William F. Austin in 1984. For more information on Starkey Hearing Foundation follow them on Facebook and Twitter, or visit www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org.
About Maddie & Tae
The fastest rising female act in eight years, MADDIE & TAE boldly introduced their debut single "Girl In A Country Song," earning a #1 at Country radio, PLATINUM-certification and over 26 million views on VEVO. They are only the third female duo to peak their debut single at #1 in the history of the Billboard Country Singles chart. The girls from Texas and Oklahoma, respectively, reveal a gumption rarely seen in newcomers, receiving praise from NPR, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post and USA Today, and most recently topping Nashville Scene's Annual Country Critics' Poll for Single of The Year. With national television appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and TODAY show under their belt, Maddie & Tae premiered their latest single, "Fly" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Both songs are featured on their debut album START HERE out now on Dot Records. The duo's Grand Ole Opry debut earned kudos from Opry member Brad Paisley while CMT selected the pair for their Next Women of Country and Country Radio Seminar chose them for the 2015 New Faces class. On the heels of such success, Maddie & Tae continued their winning ways with their first-ever award nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year at the ACM Awards this year. They were also nominated for three CMT Music Awards including Breakthrough Video Of The Year. Maddie & Tae are currently on the road for Dierks Bentley's SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR and will be headlining the START HERE TOUR this fall. For the latest updates, visit MaddieandTae.com.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=35788
