T-Mobile USA Announces Partnership With The Recording Academy

T-Mobile USA Announces Partnership With The Recording Academy

T-Mobile and The Recording Academy to Bring Exclusive Music Experiences to Fans Across the Country

BELLEVUE, Wash. and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- T-Mobile USA, Inc., today announced a new partnership with The Recording Academy(R) to launch an extensive, multifaceted marketing program in 2009 with T-Mobile and the T-Mobile(R) Sidekick(R). Building on the success of last year's program, the partnership offers T-Mobile Sidekick customers and music fans the opportunity to be a part of a series of remarkable music experiences throughout the year.

To kick off the partnership, T-Mobile launched a national consumer promotion called T-Mobile Sidekick Takes You to the GRAMMY Awards Sweepstakes, offering Sidekick customers a chance to win a prize package that is a music lover's dream: a grand prize trip to Los Angeles to attend the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 8, including two tickets to the official post-awards- show party and a T-Mobile Sidekick device. Five grand prize winners and their guests have been selected at random from entries received electronically and by mail: Ella Valdez of Seattle, WA, Jason Abrahams of Decatur, GA, Vanessa Alex of Long Beach, CA, Daniel Colon of Bronx, NY, and Meaghan Leigh Morin of Cumberland, RI.

T-Mobile also will help sponsor the annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Feb. 7 presented by Sony Music Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and three-time GRAMMY winner Clive Davis and The Recording Academy. A Davis tradition for 30 years, the star-studded celebration, attended by artists and VIPs in the music and entertainment industry, will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. In honor of the celebration, T-Mobile will offer one lucky winner the chance to be the official T-Mobile Sidekick Reporter with an entertainment news show at the exclusive red carpet event, interviewing and mingling with the music industry's elite. Auditions for the Sidekick reporter will take place on Jan. 31 at participating T-Mobile retail stores in Los Angeles.

"We're thrilled to bring our Sidekick customers another year of unique, exclusive programming in partnership with The Recording Academy," said Mike Belcher, vice president of branded communications and experience marketing, T-Mobile USA. "Starting with events at the Grammys, the expanded partnership will create special music experiences throughout the year to show appreciation to our loyal Sidekick customers who have always been at the forefront of the entertainment scene."

"We are delighted that T-Mobile is once again partnering with us," said Evan Greene, chief marketing officer of The Recording Academy. "With our partnership, we will be able to create a wide range of unique events and experiences that will engage fans and celebrate excellence in music."

T-Mobile and The Recording Academy also will bring back the exclusive concert series launched in 2008, the GRAMMY Celebration Concert Tour Presented by T-Mobile Sidekick. The tour consists of exclusive concerts featuring a lineup of GRAMMY-nominated and GRAMMY-winning artists from all genres of music. Details on the confirmed artists and concert dates will be announced at a later date, along with information on obtaining tickets and participating T- Mobile retail locations.

The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will broadcast live on Feb. 8 from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on the CBS Television Network, and will be distributed internationally to more than 160 countries.

With its signature swivel screen and full QWERTY keyboard, the T-Mobile Sidekick family of devices is designed for virtually anytime, anywhere communication. With access to e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging, as well as a robust Web experience to access sites such as MySpace, T-Mobile Sidekicks provide the luxury of being the center of one's social circle. For more information on T-Mobile Sidekick, please visit http://www.sidekick.com/.

About The Recording Academy

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards -- the preeminent peer- recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music - - The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit http://www.grammy.com/.

About T-Mobile USA, Inc.

Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. operation of Deutsche Telekom AG's Mobile Communications Business, and a wholly owned subsidiary of T-Mobile International, one of the world's leading companies in mobile communications. By the end of the third quarter of 2008, 127 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group -- more than 32 million by T-Mobile USA -- all via a common technology platform based on GSM, the world's most widely used digital wireless standard. T-Mobile's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. For more information, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com/. T-Mobile and the magenta color are federally registered trademarks of Deutsche Telekom AG.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: T-Mobile USA, Inc.

CONTACT: T-Mobile Media Relations of T-Mobile USA, Inc.,
+1-425-378-4002, mediarelations@t-mobile.com; or Sarah Lasky of BNC,
+1-310-854-3251, slasky@bncpr.com, for T-Mobile USA, Inc.; or Jaime Sarachit
of The Recording Academy, +1-310-392-3777, jaime.sarachit@grammy.com

Web site: http://www.t-mobile.com/
http://www.sidekick.com/
http://www.grammy.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment