In its first-ever formal “Upfront” presentation today, VEVO, the world’s leading allpremium music video and entertainment platform, unveiled its upcoming programming slate of music-centric original series to be produced in collaboration with Shine America, Principato-Young Entertainment and many others. VEVO’s event for the brand marketing and media communities, which included a live performance from singer/songwriter John Legend and a conversation with industry leaders, was part of the Digital Content NewFronts.

Executives from VEVO, including Rio Caraeff (President and CEO), David Kohl (EVP, Sales & Customer Operations) and Michael Cerda (SVP, Product), took the stage to present The Power of and Passion for Music Video, a look at music’s unique ability to engage artists’ fans and build global audiences. VEVO also showcased the scale of its platform across online, mobile and connected television (latest performance metrics attached).

Today’s NewFronts event also featured Music, Brands & Video Evolved, an intimate discussion on the alignment of brands and music by key industry leaders, including Frank Cooper (CMO, PepsiCo), Antonio “L.A.” Reid (Chairman and CEO, Epic Records/judge, The X Factor), Tim Spengler (Global CEO, MAGNAGLOBAL) and moderated by Wenda Harris Millard (President & COO, Media Link).

Debuting the company’s 2012 programming lineup, VEVO’s Scott Reich (VP, Programming & Original Content) said its music-centric originals will continue to give viewers exclusive access to their favorite artists but with a new focus on telling stories from the fans’ perspective.

New original programming and production partners announced today:

Busk or Bust (co-produced by VEVO and Shine America, formerly Reveille) – VEVO’s first reality competition show where contestants must literally sing for their supper. Shine America is known for popular and award-winning original hit series including The Biggest Loser, Tabatha Takes Over, Shear Genius and The Buried Life as well as long-running scripted hits The Office, Ugly Betty and The Tudors among others.

Cover Stories (co-produced by VEVO and Amos Content Group) – A comedic take on the not-so-true stories behind some of our favorite album covers.

Hear Me Out (co-produced by VEVO and Principato-Young Entertainment) – A dating show where the potential of love is based solely on the participants’ musical choices. Principato-Young is the premiere production company for cutting edge comedic talent including Jim Carrey and Ed Helms.

Sound + City (co-produced by VEVO and Show Cobra) - Uncovers the people, places and things that are currently influencing the music of a particular city. From the shoe store where the hottest mix tapes are exchanged to the restaurant everyone goes to before a concert, Sound + City explores the backdrop of the music we love and gives viewers tips on how to travel like an artist. The first six episodes explore Nashville, Miami, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Portland and Atlanta.

Strange Island (co-produced by VEVO, WEIRD LOGIC, Hello! And Company) – Flight of the Conchords Meets Glee, living somewhere between Gilligan’s Island and Fantasy Island in a new scripted series. Co-producer Weird Logic’s Scott Schultz is one of the creators of Yo Gabba Gabba.

You Play Like A Girl (co-produced by VEVO and Mike Welch) – Combines aspiration and inspiration of real-life young girls who are pursuing music as a career. Hosted by Sam Maloney, former drummer for Hole and Motley Crue among others, this series will find girls across the country who have the talent to make it big while giving them the push they need to help make their dreams a reality.

These new programs join VEVO’s returning original series including GO Shows (upcoming episodes will feature One Direction, Selena Gomez and The All-American Rejects), Area Codes, Stylized and live event platform, VEVO Presents.Additionally, VEVO will continue its live event partnerships with American Express and YouTube (American Express Unstaged), AOL (Sessions +1) and CBS Interactive Music Group (Live on Letterman).

“Music produces stories, whether they are told in a short music video or through original programming,” said Reich. “Our philosophy is to develop originals that speak to people’s passions, gives fans access to their favorite artists and most importantly, tells the stories that never had the right platform. We’re really excited to present our 2012 original programming slate to the media and marketing communities, and talk about the unique brand partnerships we can create together to bring these stories to life.”

Reich also announced the launch of VEVO’s Certified program, a ‘hall of fame’ type-award for music videos that have achieved more than 100 million views. Like its original programming mission announced today, VEVO will turn to the fan to honor the artists whose videos have achieved the special Certified milestone. More details, including the first group of honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.