Platinum Hit (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Platinum Hit is a reality competition series on Bravo launched in 2011 in which 12 singer-songwriters compete through innovative songwriting challenges that will test their creativity, patience and drive. The series was created and produced by Evan Bogart. Every episode features a different topic from a dance track to a love ballad, that require the contestants to write and perform lyrics from a multiple of genres, for a cash prize of $100,000, a publishing deal with songwriting collective The Writing Camp, and a recording deal with RCA/Jive label. The title was won by Sonyae Elise.
The show was originally to be entitled Hitmakers and was later changed to Going Platinum before settling on its present title.
Other guest judges include Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield, Donna Summer, Taio Cruz, Jermaine Dupri and Ryan Tedder. Other guest judges announced include Keith Naftaly. Platinum Hit premiered on May 30, 2011, and was shown Mondays at 10 pm Eastern/Pacific until June 27, 2011. Effective July 8, 2011, Platinum Hit was shown Fridays at 8 pm for the rest of its run.
Contestants
(in order of elimination)
Name
Age
Sex
Birthplace
Residence
Styles
Bio page
Position
Sonyae Elise
22
F
Newark/Montclair, NJ
Los Angeles, CA
R&B / Hip hop
Winner
Jes Hudak
29
F
Saratoga Springs, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Pop, Pop Ballads, Indie Pop
1st Runner-Up
Scotty Granger
23
M
New Orleans, LA
Los Angeles, CA
R&B, Pop, Dance
2nd Runner-Up
Nick Nittoli
23
M
Garfield, NJ
Los Angeles, CA
Blend of pop, rock and alternative
4th
Brian Judah
32
M
Studio City, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Alternative, Pop, Rock, Dance, Hip-Hop, Country
5th
Johnny Marnell
28
M
Kingston, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Rock, Soul, R&B, Alternative, Blues, Country, Dance, Hip-Hop/Rap
Many genres from folk to pseudo hip-hop, pop, blues to reggae
7th
Melissa Rapp
32
F
Honolulu, HI
Los Angeles, CA
Soulful Pop
8th
Amber Ojeda
27
F
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA
New Soul, Jazz
9th
Karen Waldrup
24
F
Mandeville, LA
Nashville TN
Mix of folk, rock, country and blues
10th
Blessing Offor
22
M
New Haven, CT
Queens, NY
Pop / R&B / Soul
11th
Nevin James
22
M
Pittsburgh, PA
Malibu, CA
Folk and rock
12th
Contestant Progress
Place
Contestant
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Hook Challenge Winners
Sonyae Nick Scotty Jackie
Brian Karen Scotty
Johnny Jes Jackie
Johnny Sonyae Jackie
Sonyae Nick Jes
Jackie Johnny Jes
N/A
Brian Scotty
Scotty
N/A
1
Sonyae Elise
SAFE
WIN
LOW
HIGH
WIN
LOW
WIN
WIN
WIN
WINNER
2
Jes Hudak
WIN
SAFE
HIGH
WIN
LOW
SAFE
HIGH
LOW
SAFE
1ST RUNNER-UP
3
Scotty Granger
LOW
WIN
WIN
WIN
WIN
LOW
HIGH
WIN
SAFE
2ND RUNNER-UP
4
Nick Nittoli
WIN
WIN
LOW
HIGH
HIGH
SAFE
LOW
WIN
OUT
5
Brian Judah
LOW
SAFE
WIN
LOW
WIN
WIN
WIN
OUT
6
Johnny Marnell
HIGH
LOW
WIN
WIN
HIGH
WIN
OUT
7
Jackie Tohn
HIGH
SAFE
LOW
LOW
HIGH
OUT
8
Melissa Rapp
HIGH
WIN
HIGH
HIGH
OUT
9
Amber Ojeda
SAFE
LOW
HIGH
OUT
10
Karen Waldrup
WIN
LOW
OUT
11
Blessing Offor
SAFE
OUT
12
Nevin James
OUT
{{colorbox}} (WIN) The Songwriter won the competition.
{{colorbox}} (WIN) The Songwriter provided the hook for the winning song.
{{colorbox}} (WIN) The Songwriter was selected as the winner of the episode's Elimination Challenge.
{{colorbox}} (HIGH) The Songwriter was one of the best song entries but was not selected as the winning song.
{{colorbox}} (SAFE) The Songwriter was not selected as either a top entry or a bottom entry in the Elimination Challenge, and advanced to the next challenge.
{{colorbox}} (LOW) The Songwriter was on the Losing Song entries but was not eliminated.
{{colorbox}} (LOW) The Songwriter was selected as one of the bottom two song entries in the Elimination Challenge and was up for elimination.
{{colorbox}} (OUT) The Songwriter was eliminated from the competition.
^ Sonyae was granted immunity in Week 6 by the judges by contributing the most to the winning song in Week 5. ^ There were no hook challenge winners in Week 7 because the remaining songwriters were paired up before they had to present their hooks. ^ Scotty won the hook challenge in Week 9 but the remaining songwriters wrote their songs individually.
Episodes
Week 1
Date of broadcast: May 30, 2011
Subject: Songs About Los Angeles
Judges:
Kara DioGuardi (head judge)
Jewel
Trevor Jerideau, Vice President A&R of RCA/Jive Label Group (guest judge)
Jermaine Dupri of So So Def Recordings (special guest judge)
Qualifying hooks:
Sonyae Elise: "Love It or Hate It". She chose Blessing Offor and Amber Ojeda for her team.
Nick Nittoli: "My City". He chose Jes Hudak and Karen Waldrup for his team.
Scotty Granger: "No One". He chose Brian Judah and Nevin James for his team.
Jackie Tohn: "City of Dreams". She picked Johnny Marnell and Melissa Rapp for her team.
Non-qualifying hooks (in order of appearance):
Johnny Marnell: "Lost in Los Angeles"
Blessing Offor: "Smile for Me L.A."
Amber Ojeda: "L.A. with Me Tonight"
Melissa Rapp: "Our Town"
Jes Hudak: "Fake"
Brian Judah: "City of Make-Believe"
Karen Waldrup: "Southern Spice"
Nevin James: "You'll Never Be My Home"
Final results:
"My City" - Nick Nittoli (hook) and Jes Hudak and Karen Waldrup (contributors)
"City of Dreams" - Jackie Tohn (hook) and Johnny Marnell and Melissa Rapp (contibutors)
"Love It or Hate It" - Sonyae Elise (hook) and Blessing Offor and Amber Ojeda (contributors)
"No One" - Scotty Granger (hook) and Brian Judah and Nevin James (contributors)
Qualifying hooks:
(in parenthesis, one-word lead drawn through a card)
Johnny Marnell: "Going Where I Need to Be" / ('Escape'). He chose Brian Judah and Scotty Granger
Jes Hudak: "Home for Me" / ('Free'). She chose Amber Ojeda and Melissa Rapp
Jackie Tohn: "The Road is Where My Heart Is" / ('Road'). She chose Karen Waldrup and Sonyae Elise, joined by Nick Nittoli (passed by both Johnny and Jes)
Non-qualifying hooks (in order of appearance):
(in parenthesis, one-word lead drawn through a card)
Melissa Rapp: ('Change')
Amber Ojeda: ('View')
Karen Waldrup: ('Away')
Scotty Granger: ('Pack')
Sonyae Elise: ('Explore')
Nik Nittoli: ('Wheels')
Brian Judah: ('Direction')
Final results:
"Going Where I Need to Be": Johnny Marnell (hook) and Brian Judah and Scotty Granger (contributors)
"Free": Jes Hudak (hook) and Amber Ojeda and Melissa Rapp (contributors)
"The Road is Where My Heart Is" - Jackie Tohn (hook) and Karen Waldrup, Sonyae Elise and Nick Nittoli (contributors)
Eliminated: Karen Waldrup - finishing 10th
Week 4
Date of broadcast: June 20, 2011
Subject: Rap Songs
Judges:
Kara DioGuardi
Jewel
Keith Naftaly (guest judge)
Rodney Jerkins (special guest judge)
Qualifying hooks:
Johnny Marnell: "Walk through Walls". He chose Scotty Granger and Jes Hudak
Sonyae Elise: "Miss Make the Boys Cry". She chose Nick Nittoli and Melissa Rapp
Jackie Tohn: "Super Duper Rapper". She chose Brian Judah and Amber Ojeda
Non-qualifying hooks (in order of appearance):
Melissa Rapp: "In An Hour"
Amber Ojeda: "Quiet Storm"
Jes Hudak: "Hard Hearted Truth"
Brian Judah: "Down South"
Nick Nittoli: "Invisiman (Get Up)"
Scotty Granger: "Boy I Wanna (Love You Down)"
Final results:
"Walk through Walls" - Johnny Marnell (hook) and Scotty Granger and Jes Hudak (contributors)
"Miss Make the Boys Cry" - Sonyae Elise (hook) and Nick Nittoli and Melissa Rapp (contributors)
"Super Duper Rapper" - Jackie Tohn (hook) and Brian Judah and Amber Ojeda (contributors)
Eliminated: Amber Ojeda - finishing 9th
Week 5
Date of broadcast: June 27, 2011
Subject: Love Songs
Judges:
Kara DioGuardi
Jewel
Keith Naftaly (guest judge)
Ryan Tedder, lead singer of OneRepublic, (special guest judge)
Qualifying hooks:
Sonyae Elise: "Love Me to Life". She chose Scotty Granger and Brian Judah for her team, and as a prize for having the best hook was permitted to assign teams for the team challenge.
Nick Nittoli: "Stuck On You". Sonyae assigned Jackie Tohn and Johnny Marnell to his team
Jes Hudak: "It's You". Melissa Rapp was paired with her after Sonyae did not assign her to another team.
Non-qualifying hooks (in order of appearance):
Melissa Rapp: "Dizzy"
Jackie Tohn: "Before I Get to You"
Brian Judah: "Notice"
Scotty Granger: "Love Me or Not"
Johnny Marnell: "Wake Up to You"
Final results:
"Love Me to Life" - Sonyae Elise (hook) and Scotty Granger and Brian Judah (contributors)
"Stuck On You" - Nick Nittoli (hook) and Jackie Tohn and Johnny Marnell (contributors)
"It's You" - Jes Hudak (hook) and Melissa Rapp (contributor)
Eliminated:
Melissa Rapp - finishing 8th
Week 6
Date of broadcast: July 8, 2011
Subject: Risky Songs
Judges:
Kara DioGuardi
Jewel
Keith Naftaly (guest judge)
Bonnie McKee (guest judge)
Qualifying hooks:
Jackie Tohn: "Say It Back" - She chose Scotty Granger and Sonyae Elise to her team
Johnny Marnell: "Betting My Life On You" - He chose Brian Judah to his team
Jes Hudak: "Save Yourself" - She chose Nick Nittoli to her team
Non-Qualifying hooks:
Nick Nittoli: "Risky Business"
Sonyae Elise: "Jumping Out the Window"
Brian Judah: "Heart In My Hands"
Scotty Granger: "Melt"
Final Results:
"Betting My Life On You" - Johnny Marnell (hook) and Brian Judah (contributor)
"Save Yourself" - Jes Hudak (hook) and Nick Nittoli (contributor)
"Say It Back" - Jackie Tohn (hook) and Scotty Granger and Sonyae Elise (contributors)
Eliminated: Jackie Tohn - finishing 7th
Week 7
Date of broadcast: July 15, 2011
Subject: Songs For Other Artists
Judges:
Kara DioGuardi
Jewel
Keith Naftaly (guest judge)
Evan "Kidd" Bogart (guest judge)
Qualifying hooks:
Scotty Granger & Jes Hudak: "Love You Down" - Written for Justin Bieber
Sonyae Elise & Brian Judah: "Stranger to Love" - Written for Beyoncé
Johnny Marnell & Nick Nittoli: "All Day Sunrise" - Written for Gavin DeGraw
Final Results:
"Stranger to Love" - Sonyae Elise (hook) and Brian Judah (contributor)
"Love You Down" - Scotty Granger (hook) and Jes Hudak (contributor)
"All Day Sunrise" - Johnny Marnell (hook) and Nick Nittoli (contributor)
Eliminated: Johnny Marnell - finishing 6th
Week 8
Date of broadcast: July 22, 2011
Subject: Inspiring Songs
Judges:
Kara DioGuardi
Jewel
Keith Naftaly
Doug Brod of Spin (special appearance with announcement that this week's winner would appear in a feature in Spin)
Brian Judah: "The Last Candle" - He chose Jes Hudak (but passed on having Nick Nittoli on his team to Scotty)
Scotty Granger: "Reign" - He chose Sonyae Elise and got Nick Nittoli by default
Non-qualifying hooks (in order of appearance):
Jes Hudak: "Underestimate Away"
Nick Nittoli: "Kiss the Flame"
Sonyae Elise: "Tomorrow Is Too Late"
Final Results:
"Reign" - Scotty Granger (hook), Sonyae Elise and Nick Nittoli (contributors) - Nittoli singled out for having the best contribution and will appear in a feature in Spin magazine.
"The Last Candle" - Brian Judah (hook), Jes Hudak (contributor)
After the show, Platinum Hit released the single "My Religion" by the winner Sonyae Elise. She also won $100,000 as a cash prize, an RCA/Jive Records contract and a publishing deal with The Writing Camp.
Record releases
All released in 2011
This is Platinum Hit (Episode 1)
Dance Floor Royalty (Episode 2)
Wheels Up (Episode 3)
Rap Heroes (Episode 4)
The L Word (Episode 5)
We Are Risk Takers (Episode 6)
Somebody is Lying (Episode 7)
Kiss the Flame (Episode 8)
Make It Pop (Episode 9)
The Finale (Episode 10)
Platinum Hit: The Winning Songs Live (Live Performances from Episodes 1-5)
Platinum Hit: The Winning Songs Live (Live Performances from Episodes 6-10)