THE TOP 13 SINGERS ADVANCE IN THE COMPETITION AND WILL PERFORM ON A SPECIAL 2 HOUR "RISING STAR" SUNDAY, AUGUST 3rd ON ABC

After 6 weeks of competition, the singers from ABC's new groundbreaking reality series "Rising Star" have been narrowed down to the top 13 and next they will go against one another to compete for the highest scores on SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET; check local listings) on the ABC Television Network. At the end of the 2 hours, in the most dramatic show yet, only 8 singers will move on--and 5 will go home. The top 13 singers competing for a recording contract with legendary Capitol Records are:

Alice J. Lee, 25, Chicago, IL
April Lockhart, 18, Warren, NJ
Audrey Kate Geiger, 24, New York, NY
Austin French, 20, Tifton, GA
Dana Williams, 24, Los Angeles, CA
Jesse Kinch, 20, Seaford, NY
Joshua Peavy, 28, Soperton, GA
Lisa Punch, 21, Brooklyn, NY
Macy Kate, 16, St. Petersburg, FL
Maneepat Myra Molloy, 16, Los Angeles, CA
Megan Tibbits, 26, Caro, MI
Shameia Crawford, 30, Lithonia, GA
Sonnet Simmons, 34, Los Angeles, CA

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Josh Groban is host, and country music superstar Brad Paisley, music sensation Kesha and hip hop artist and actor Ludacris comprise the expert panel on ABC's "Rising Star," the next evolution of live television. "Rising Star" completely reinvents the traditional singing competition as--for the first time ever--the audience has the final say in real time. Each episode of the show follows a group of aspiring singers as they perform live. During each performance, viewers vote in real time via an App to determine if the singer will advance in the competition. Based on the number of viewer photos appearing on the wall, the performer can see the level of response to his or her performance, so the feedback is immediate and dramatic.

To vote for your favorite performers, home judges (viewers) can download the Rising Star ABC app through the Apple App Store, Windows Market Place, or the Google Play Store. The App is essential to participate in the voting process, but it's totally FREE and easy to use. Just register with your Facebook or Twitter account, and you're ready to go. Before each performance, you'll be asked to check-in, and then when it's time to vote, swipe BLUE (to the right) to vote YES or RED (to the left) to vote NO. You'll see the results of the vote in REAL TIME on television - even if you are on the West Coast. In just seconds, your votes determine whether the wall rises, whether a performer moves on or goes home, or if you're on the West Coast, whether a lucky performer gets a second chance. And IF you give us permission through the app, you might also see your Facebook or Twitter profile picture on the Rising Star wall. To learn more on how to vote, click here.

The series airs over 10 weeks. The first 3 weeks - Live Auditions-- showcased approximately 30 acts. The top singers advanced to the Duels - where acts competed one-on-one. Those who survived will now return for the Top 13 show for a chance to make it to the Quarterfinals round and then the Semifinals round. The field continues to narrow until the night of the Finals, when just 1 of the remaining acts will be named the "Rising Star" winner.

August 3, 9-11 p.m., ET - Top 13

August 10, 9-10 p.m., ET - Quarterfinals

August 17, 9-10 p.m., ET - Semifinals

August 24, 9-10 p.m., ET - Finals

"Rising Star" opened the gate to a new era in reality competition, when executive producers, Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Nicolle Yaron ("The Voice") kicked off a nationwide search for talent earlier this year. The show accepted submissions online, via Instagram and in person as the production team traveled to Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Boston.

"Rising Star" is executive produced in the U.S. by Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Nicolle Yaron ("The Voice"). The series is from Keshet DCP, the joint venture between Keshet International (KI), the global distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group, and DC Media, the parent company of dick clark productions (dcp).