VH1 Names Breakthrough Indie Pop Duo A Great Big World And Soul Singer Russell Taylor As Next Artists "You Oughta Know"

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1's esteemed "You Oughta Know" music discovery franchise extends its diverse roster of emerging musical talent into the new year with the additions of independent soul singer Russell Taylor (December 2013) and fast-rising indie pop duo A Great Big World (January 2014). Both artists will benefit from a month long TV, web, mobile and social awareness campaign and will join the ranks of famous "You Oughta Know" alumni including Adele, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Lorde, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons and many more.

A Great Big World, comprised of singing-songwriting team Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino, have seen their single "Say Something" skyrocket on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on both the iTunes music and Billboard Digital Downloads charts after recent performances with Christina Aguilera on The Voice and the 2013 American Music Awards. Their debut album, "Is There Anybody Out There?," will be released on Black Magnetic/Epic Records in early 2014.

Russell Taylor becomes the first to win the coveted "You Oughta Know" distinction after beating over four hundred competitors in VH1's first ever crowdsourced contest on Artists.VH1.com, VH1's music discovery site. Taylor, a native of New York, will be deemed VH1's "You Oughta Know" artist for the month of December 2013. Taylor has recently completed his independently produced album, "War of Hearts." The second single, "Electric," will be released in December ahead of the album's January 2014 launch.

"We couldn't be happier with these outstanding additions to the franchise," said Rick Krim, EVP Music and Talent Programming, VH1. "As emerging artists with diverse musical influences and incredible talent, A Great Big World and Russell Taylor are each the embodiment of what the 'You Oughta Know' franchise is all about."

Both artists will benefit from significant cross-platform promotion via frequent music video plays, a custom promo spot, interviews on VH1's music-oriented Tuner blog, VH1's Top 20 Countdown, mention on VH1's morning show "Big Morning Buzz Live" and much more.

The announcement follows on the heels of VH1's inaugural "You Oughta Know In Concert" special, which aired on Thursday, November 21 and has been streamed almost 200,000 times via web and VH1's digital app. The concert featured performances by past and present VH1 "You Oughta Know" artists including HAIM, JOHNNYSWIM, Lorde, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Matt Nathanson and The Lumineers.

Since its launch in 2005, VH1's "You Oughta Know" franchise has introduced promising new artists on the rise and served as a barometer for what and who's hot in music today.  Many "You Oughta Know" artists have gone on to win industry awards and accolades including "Best New Artist" Grammy Awards and nominations. This highly acclaimed franchise has helped break artists such as Adele, Ed Sheeran, Foster the People, Gotye, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, The Civil Wars and many, many more.

About VH1

VH1 delivers the ultimate mash-up of music, pop culture and nostalgia for adults who still want to have fun.  VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S.  VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile and VH1.com and @VH1, the hub for all things music and pop culture.  VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.vh1press.com, VH1.com, or the VH1 Facebook page.  Follow us on Twitter @VH1PR.    

SOURCE VH1