18 aspiring East African musicians go head to head starting Sunday, June 3, as the fifth season of Tusker Project Fame kicks off with Sh5 million and a one-year record deal with Universal Music Group up for grabs.

Burundi joins contestants from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan for the first time year, as the contest grows to accommodate new countries and new markets for Tusker.

The 18 were picked from 3,277 hopefuls who auditioned for the reality music talent show in April and May this year, in the main cities of each participating country.

According to a statement, the 18 chosen ones will be ‘trained, tested and adequately prepared for a future career in the exciting world of the performing arts and entertainment’.

A winner will be unveiled on July 29, and East African Breweries Limited Marketing Director for Kenya, Carol Ndungu, said the lucky contestant will have learned to successfully ‘deliver authentic musical talent’.

“This year also we are extremely delighted to have a new recording partner on board –Universal Music Group, one of the leading recording companies in the music industry,” she said.

Tusker Project Fame, an endemol production which first started in 2006, is played out in weekly live shows, where contestants show their skills and versatility before a team of judges and an audience. How good do you think this year’s contestants are?