Sean “Diddy” Combs Sets ‘Making the Band’ Revival at MTV

By Denise Petski, Deadline
Published July 15, 2019, 2:20 p.m. ET

It’s coming back. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and MTV are reteaming to bring back iconic music-competition series Making The Band for premiere in 2020. A global casting call begins today across all major social media platforms in the search for the next breakout superstar.

Making the Band first premiered on MTV in 2002 with Combs at the helm. The series quickly became a breakthrough concept in music and television that chronicled the real-life drama and intimate journeys of chart-topping musical acts Danity Kane, Day26, Da Band and Donnie Klang. Under Combs’ tutelage, MTV’s Making the Band changed the game for the music-competition genre, creating some of the most memorable and buzzed about moments in popular culture.

Earlier this week, Grammy-winning artist and business mogul Combs set off a social media firestorm by suggesting the idea of the show’s return, prompting an outpouring of support by fans.

“MTV and I are back together again!! ‘Making the Band’ is coming back bigger, bolder and more cutting edge. MTB on MTV was the pioneer of reality TV. We’re going to bring that supernatural energy back to the format and bring the world it’s next global superstars,” said Combs.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome back the incomparable Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to his rightful home at MTV,” said Nina L. Diaz, MTV’s President of Entertainment. “’Making the Band’ was ahead of its time and the ultimate disruptor – fans everywhere have been clamoring for a return and they are in for the biggest, most iconic season yet.”

Combs announced the news today revealing open call across all major social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, by uploading a video submission using #MTBCasting. Casting opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks. Contestants must be at least 18 years of age and be able to comply with the eligibility requirements and all rules. Watch

MTV is also bringing on music performance app Smule to launch the “Making the Band” campaign, a first-of-its-kind feature offering fans a curated playlist of songs to choose from to create video auditions that can be shared across social media.