Cosmopolitan Magazine Names Three Finalists in StarLaunch(TM) Search for the Next Female Rock Star

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - November 10, 2008) - The ballots have been cast and tabulations have been recorded and the field has been narrowed to the final three musicians. All three talented artists endured a rigorous screening process by a panel of music industry hit makers and rallied their fans to turn out the vote on their behalf. Now, they will come to New York and compete in a live battle of the bands at Terminal 5 in New York City on December 5, emceed by MTV VJ Damien Fahey. The three acts will open the show, performing on the same stage as pop superstar Natasha Bedingfield and special guest Solange Knowles.

The finalists are:

--  Alexa Wilkinson, New York, NY
--  Fortune 457, New York, NY
--  Mieka Pauley, New York, NY
    

The top three finalists will receive Nikon cameras, so that they can document their journey to NYC. A slideshow of their pictures will be available at Cosmopolitan.com following the concert. In addition, bebe's VIP stylist will work with each female finalist to perfect their rock star look for the evening. Outfits will be gifted to each female performer. And all will receive a prize package from Pantene and CoverGirl. Fans can continue to vote for their favorite of the three finalists starting today through December 4 at www.cosmopolitan.com/starlaunch.

On the evening of the concert, a panel of top music executives including Sylvia Rhone (President/EVP, Universal Motown), David Novik (SVP of A&R, Decca/Universal) and Mike Mangini (Grammy Award-winning producer and musician), along with the in-house audience and online community, will help select the winner, who will receive a package that will jump start their music career including:

--  $10,000 cash
--  A 3-track demo created with a hit-making record producer
--  Up to 10 performances at Cosmopolitan-sponsored events
--  Memberships to SESAC (a performing rights organization for music
    artists and publishers) and FanBridge (a premier fan list management
    service)
--  Prize packages from CoverGirl, Pantene, Nikon and bebe
    

"We are thrilled to announce our fun, fearless finalists that were chosen in the best possible way -- a democratic one," said Donna Kalajian Lagani, Senior Vice President and Publishing Director, Cosmopolitan. "We can now look forward to capping off our one-of-a-kind program with an incredible night of music culminating in one new artist winning the opportunity of a lifetime."

Cosmopolitan, along with sponsors Nikon, CoverGirl, Pantene and bebe, kicked off its first-ever StarLaunch™ national talent search September 9 on YouTube, asking female-fronted bands and solo artists to upload a performance video of an original song for consideration.

For more information on StarLaunch™, visit www.cosmopolitan.com/starlaunch. Tickets for the StarLaunch™ concert on December 5 at New York City's Terminal 5 are on sale now. To purchase, visit www.terminal5nyc.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan (www.cosmopolitan.com) is the best-selling young women's magazine in the U.S., a bible for fun, fearless females that reaches more than 18 million readers a month. Cosmopolitan delivers the latest news on men and love, fashion and beauty, women's health and self-improvement, and entertainment. Readers can also interact with the brand on the digital front, with Cosmopolitan mobile (m.cosmopolitan.com). In addition to its U.S. flagship, Cosmopolitan publishes 58 editions around the world. Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with nearly 200 editions around the world, including 18 U.S. titles and 20 magazines in the United Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited. Hearst reaches more adults than any other publisher of monthly magazines (75.6 million total adults, according to MRI, Spring 2008).

Contact Information: Contact: Marisa Ollins Cosmopolitan 212-649-2577 mollins@hearst.com Andrea Faville Cosmopolitan 212-649-2165 afaville@hearst.com