Black Eyed Peas Present the John Lennon Songwriting Contest's `Maxell Song of the Year' to Amy Fairchild.

Entertainment Editors/Music Writers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2003

$20,000 Presented At NAMM Summer Session in Nashville

For "Falling Down"

Brian Rothschild, Executive Director of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, A&M hit recording artists The Black Eyed Peas, and Peter Brinkman, VP Maxell Corporation, presented the $20,000 check for the 2002 Maxell Song of the Year to Amy Fairchild of Wakefield, Massachusetts, for her Pop song "Falling Down." Winners from most of the other 11 musical categories were on hand at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, on the opening night of the NAMM Summer Session, to join in the festivities and in the performance of the contest's theme song, "Imagine." The Black Eyed Peas also performed their current hit "Where Is The Love," before running off to re-join Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, with whom they are touring.

Amy is the sixth winner of the internationally acclaimed annual `Maxell Song of the Year' honor. The winner is selected from the Grand Prize Winners in each of 12 musical categories, by the illustrious Executive Committee of the JLSC, which includes Black Eyed Peas as well as Elton John, Carlos Santana, Brooks & Dunn, City High, Wyclef Jean, Enrique Iglesias, Dave Koz, Amy Grant, Sugar Ray, Joan Osborne, and Trace Adkins, to name a few.

The other 2002 Grand Prize Winners are Brad Chiet and Mark Lennon (Country Music Winner, of El Segundo, CA), Bryan Bryant (Electronic, of Houston, TX), Elizabeth Elkins (Rock, Atlanta, GA), ADON a/k/a Kirk Laurence Nielson (Hip Hop, Washington, DC), Jesse Ciarmitaro (Jazz, Rockport, MA), Pat Humphries and Sandy Opataw (Folk, Mt. Rainier, MA), Mario Sacasa (Latin, Bethesda, MD), Melissa Bathory, Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger (R&B, Toronto, Ontario), Alain Nkossi Konda (World, Imhenstadt, Bavaria), Mandie Pinto and Steve Siler (Gospel/Inspirational, Encino, CA), Dontae Winslow (Children's, Baltimore, MD).

Over $225,000 in cash and prizes is distributed to 120 winners in all, representing 10 winners in each of the 12 categories. These include $60,000 in project studio equipment from Yamaha, 12 publishing contracts with $5,000 advances each from EMI Music Publishing, gift certificates from Musiciansfriend.com, subscriptions to TonosPro from Tonos.com, and 1000 replicated CDs and packaging from Discmakers. The 2003 Contest will have a very special bonus prize -- one lucky Rock band will be chosen to play on WARPED TOUR 2004.

This year's John Lennon Songwriting Contest is open for submissions through September 28, 2003. For more information on the Contest, the Educational Tour Bus, and the USA WEEKEND/John Lennon Songwriting Contest for Teens, log on to www.jlsc.com.

JLSC simultaneously launched a relationship with Discmakers whereby they will provide interactive Lennon Contest CD-ROMs for distribution in such outlets as Guitar Player Magazine and Musiciansfriend.com and, as a sponsor of the Contest, will provide 1000 full color packaged discs for each of the 2003 Grand Prize winners. A new line of T-shirts for men and women by American Apparel and printed by Corprint, through the generosity of Yamaha, was also introduced. The shirts reflect both John and Yoko Ono Lennon's plea for peace with the simple words "imagine peace" and a second design featuring Lennon's famous self-portrait. Proceeds from the sales go to the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, and they are available at www.jlsc.com.

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest chose to announce the Maxell Song of the Year winner at the NAMM Summer Session this year to highlight the mutual goals of the JLSC and NAMM, the International Music Products Association, and NAMM's non-profit affiliate, the American Music Conference (AMC). Both strive to educate and encourage young people to write and play music and to provide options for career opportunities in the business of music. The non-profit John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, the mobile state-of-the-art recording and multimedia studio, travels nationwide throughout the year to schools, conferences, concerts and community centers, and provides free workshops and tours of the facility. JLSC is also a supporter of themusicedge.com, the new AMC site largely funded by NAMM, that provides music news, entertainment, and music making opportunities for teens.

PHOTOS AND VIDEO ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST