ABOUT WCOPA

One of a kind.  Annual World’s Best Talent International Performing Arts Championships lands in Anaheim.

(Presented by Worldstars International Inc. ™)

Singers, dancers, jugglers, you name it will be ready to strut their stuff for the judges at the annual World Championships of Performing Arts®.

This is the only official international competition program for seasoned and up and coming performers and entertainers held annually and judged by “Hollywood” industry professionals.  Countries are represented by delegations similar to the Olympics.

Selections for official contestants will be held in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and South Africa. “Contestants from over 60 countries are expected to participate,” says Griff O’Neil, competition CEO and a former executive of the Miss Universe Pageant, “vying for ‘the gold’ PLUS prizes, cash and a total of half a million dollars in scholarships. Thousands of people around the world will apply to participate in 2020.”

A popular highlight of the festivities is the spectacular Opening Ceremony featuring a colorful Parade of Nations! The much-anticipated, priceless Worldstars® Boot Camp is an unmatched phenomenon of educational seminars and workshops by industry experts!

Because of its stellar reputation in attracting achieving talent, esteemed VIP and celebrity entertainment industry greats from Hollywood, Nashville and New York have served as judges and been honored with induction into the Performing Arts Hall of Fame® at this prestigious global competition.

Previous honorees include:

ANN-MARGRET – two-time Academy Award nominee, Emmy winner, five Golden Globes, Grammy nominee

JACLYN SMITH – star of Charlie’s Angels

JUSTIN CHAMBERS – star of Grey’s Anatomy

LINDA GRAY – star of Dallas

LIZA MINNELLI – three Tony Awards, an Oscar, Emmy and two Golden Globe Awards

DOLLY PARTON – four-time Grammy Award winner

DIONNE WARWICK – multi-Grammy artist

MICHAEL BOLTON – multi-Grammy singer and songwriter

With shows like The Voice and So You Think You Can Dance vying for face time on TV, it’s no wonder that there’s such a proliferation of talent looking for a home. The talent shows score some of the biggest audience ratings and their renewed popularity has made the World Championships more relevant than ever.

To help process the talent, the veteran entertainment producer has recruited over 75 Scouts and National Directors who are currently scouring the globe for potential talent.

“This is the only truly Olympic-style talent competition ever created,” adds O’Neil. “We’ve been planting seeds for the past twenty-three years and are now ready to really show off our spectrum of talent, in both junior and adult divisions.”

There are six categories of competition: dancing, singing, modeling, acting, instrumental and variety arts. Each “act” is allowed one minute to showcase their skills. Over a hundred judges from the entertainment industry will be involved before the main prizes are awarded – “gold” medals, official World Champion trophies and plaques, recording contracts, and a total of half million dollars in scholarships. And the top prizes of all, the coveted titles “Junior and Senior Grand Champion Performers of the World!”

However, every contestant is a “Worldstar winner”… the networking opportunities are inestimable, the competition experience is beyond belief, accurate information about the industry is obtained through invaluable educational seminars, and the friendships made with talent throughout the world are priceless!

Previous judges have included:

Mehcad Brooks (Hollywood) – Brooks starred on Alan Ball’s HBO hit TV series True Blood. He is a SAG ensemble award winner and Image Award nominee for his performance as Alfre Woodard’s son on ABC’s smash series Desperate Housewives and currently stars in CW’s Supergirl.

John Pardee and Joey Murphy (Hollywood) – These partners, in addition to their careers as successful feature film screenwriters, are in their 20th year as writers/producers of numerous television series – most notably, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Cybill and ABC Television’s mega-hit, Desperate Housewives.

Anita Mann (Hollywood) – With six Emmy nominations, two Emmy Awards and honored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Anita is one of America’s top choreographers and live show producers. Her countless credits include The Academy Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, Miss America Pageant, The People’s Choice Awards, The Emmy’s.

Steven Dorff (Hollywood and Nashville) – One of the world’s most successful music composers. NSAI Songwriter of the Year, 40 BMI and 11 Billboard #1 awards, three-time Grammy nominee, Emmy nominee for five television compositions, nine #1 film songs and 15 Top 10 hits. His many songs have been sung by some of the greatest artists of our time: Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, George Strait, Vanessa Williams and countless others. He currently has two projects making their way to Broadway.

ALESSIA BOCCUTO, a singer from Italy was crowned the 2019 Junior Grand Champion Performer of the World. From Austria, vocalist KARINA BENALCAZAR captured the 2019 Senior Grand Champion Performer of the World title.

Special guest performers at the final night gala were STEFAN BENZ – 2018 Junior Grand Champion Performer of the World from South Africa who signed with Hit Music Partners, Upscale Records and the world renowned Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and a multimedalist at the 2010 WCOPA from Malaysia CHERYL K who recently sang the theme song Money on the soundtrack in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians.

After all is said and done, talent competitions are nothing new. Everyone from Frank Sinatra to Patsy Cline to Britney Spears has been discovered on talent contests.

Talent contest judges initially rejected some well-known stars, like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Drew Carey.

The genre’s been around on radio and later on TV for nearly 70 years, but the World Championships of Performing Arts® is by far the biggest in scale and scope and seeks to turn the international corridor between a country’s artists and dreamers – and Hollywood’s “land of dreams” – into a two-way street as a launchpad for opportunity, recognition and reward.

Meet the Team Behind WCOPA

Griff O’Neil – Chief Executive Officer

Charged with maximizing the value of the business. Executive Director of WCOPA (WSI).

 

Gwen Wilson- President

Charged with managing the business operations, licensing, and working closely with the Vice Presidents to maintain all day-to-day operations and expanding operations. Charged with working closely with the National Directors to maintain good business practices. President of WCOPA in charge of Show and Event production. 

 

Chuck Lorimer- Chief Financial Officer

Charged with managing the company’s finances, including financial planning, management of financial risk, record keeping and all financial reporting. Overseeing the integrity of judging practices at WCOPA.

 

Scott Murphy- Vice President

Charged with International Directors recruitment vetting, Worldstars USA day-to-day operations, security, and risk management.

 

Nancy Bianconi- Vice President

Charged with National Directors’ compliance, new business development through sponsors, expanding education programs, adjudicator recruitment, website marketing combined with social media marketing.

 

Judy Garland- Vice President IWA

Charged with overseeing membership and promotions of the International Worldstars Association.

 

Dreama Fritts- Hotel Administrator/Support

Charged with supporting all hotel contracts, facilitating National Directors’ hotel accommodations registration, and supporting the day-to-day operations of WSI.

 

Danielle Janco- Director of the Final Show

Charged with assisting with producing and directing the grand finale of the World Championships of Performing Arts

 

Volunteers- Each year volunteers from around the World assist with events associated during the World Championships of Performing Arts.  Without these volunteers, WCOPA would not be possible. 

For more information about World Championships of Performing Arts contact info@wcopa.com visit www.wcopa.com
* Times, events, ticket availability and participating Judges are subject to change.

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