Although she wasn't my favorite contestant on the inaugural season of The X Factor (that distinguished title goes to my main man Chris Rene) I, along with everyone else with half a clue, predicted from the get-go that Melanie Amaro would reign supreme. As we all know, that is precisely the way things turned out. Today, 19-year-old Amaro claimed her grand prize: a $5 million dollar recording contract with Epic Records.
The prize is the largest in the history of television. X Factor producer and judge Simon Cowell has said in past interviews that, "the contract was a guaranteed $5 million paid to the winner over five years and also promised that his team would offer the winner separate financial support so the contestant wouldn’t be forced into investing their own money into their debut project."
L.A. Reid, a judge on The X Factor, is the chairman and C.E.O. of Epic Records. Reid had this to say about Amaro: "I joined The X Factor to be able to discover undeniable talent such as Melanie. I am pleased that she is now signed to Epic Records because I believe we have only scratched the surface on uncovering her talent and her inevitable journey to superstardom."
The five million dollar record deal was highly publicized on every episode of The X Factor, so that came as no surprise. But Melanie also received an additional prize for winning The X Factor: A starring role in a Pepsi commercial set to air during the Super Bowl on February 5th.
Not bad for a girl who got sent home during the audition rounds, huh?
