(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- /PRNewswire/ -- Hackensack High School student Martin Rojas Ortiz has been named the winner of the 21st Annual Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs music competition. Martin, who is in the 11th grade, earned a $5,000 music contract with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) for his original song, "Bruno."
Martin's entry stood out among a competitive pool of submissions from high school students across New Jersey, all of whom used their musical talents to promote messages about substance use prevention and healthy lifestyles.
"This competition empowers youth to speak up and lead the conversation on prevention," said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ. "Martin's song proves that New Jersey teens are ready to make a difference and they're doing it through creativity and heart."
The annual contest, sponsored by the New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA) and 95.9 WRAT, culminated with a virtual Prevention Concert on Wednesday, May 7. The event was hosted by Jimmy Steal, WRAT's Creative Services Director and PM Drive Host. It showcased live performances of original music by the top finalists of the competition.
Winners were selected based on a combination of public online voting and judges' scores, with Ortiz's win announced live at the conclusion of the concert.
To listen to Martin's winning song and all finalist performances, visit shoutdowndrugs.com/contestants.
Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication.
To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership's New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey's history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 230 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
