Morning Musume '19 LOVE Audition

Morning Musume '19 LOVE Audition (モーニング娘。'19 LOVEオーディション) was the audition for 15th generation member(s) to join Morning Musume. It was announced on January 2, 2019 at Hello! Project 20th Anniversary!! Hello! Project 2019 WINTER ~YOU & I~."モー娘。の新メンバーオーディションの開催決定！　譜久村聖「モーニング娘。が大好きな人、待ってます」" (in Japanese). The Television. 2019-01-02."モーニング娘。'19新メンバーを募集する「LOVEオーディション」開催" (in Japanese). natalie. 2019-01-02."ハロプロ恒例新春公演、OG参加やシャッフルメドレーで20周年の総決算" (in Japanese). natalie. 2019-01-02.
The audition was searching for girls who love Morning Musume and Hello! Project, love to sing and dance and are confident in singing and dancing, want to take advantage of their personal strengths and special skills, and want to find their "new self"."「​モーニング娘。'19 LOVEオーディション」開催！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2019-01-02.
==Audition Details==
*Application Requirements:
*#Female, living in Japan, enrolled in the fifth year of elementary school up to the second year of high school as of January 2, 2019.
*#Must not currently be under contract with any agencies.
*#Must have consent from legal guardian if under the age of 15.
*Application Deadline: February 15, 2019
*Total Applicants: 4,500+" モー娘。15期新メンバー3人を発表　3年ぶりオーディションで2人選出、山崎は研修生から昇格" (in Japanese). Sponichi Annex. 2019-06-22.
*Dance Instructor: Mitsubachi Maki
*Singing Instructor: marron
*Broadcast: Upcoming (post-audition)
==Audition Process==
===First Round===
The application deadline was on February 15, 2019 (at noon for web applications). On March 6, it was announced that application screening was completed and candidates who passed into the second round would receive their results in the mail.
===Second Round===
On April 10, it was announced on the audition website that the second round was finished and only continuing candidates would be contacted by mail.
===Third Round===
On May 17, it was announced that the third round was completed and mail was sent to candidates informing them of whether they would continue onto the next round or were rejected.
===Final Round===
Six girls continued into the final round, which took place over two days in late May. marron was in charge of singing lessons and Mitsubachi Maki was in charge of dance lessons. The finalists had to learn to perform "Help me!!" as a group and "Only you" as a solo."【アプカミ#147】モーニング娘。'19新メンバー最終オーディションと初レッスン・「青春Night」野中美希のボーカルREC・稲場愛香の「メイク講座」 MC : 生田衣梨奈 横山玲奈" (in Japanese). Upcoming (via YouTube). 2019-07-25.
There were a total of 6 finalists:
*Kitagawa Rio, 15
*Okamura Homare, 14
*Nishizaki Miku, 13
*Hirayama Yuki, 12
*Kitahara Momo, 12
*Kawashima Mifu, 11
==Results==
During Morning Musume '19's release event for their 67th single "Jinsei Blues / Seishun Night" on June 11, 2019 at Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Square, it was announced that the 15th generation would be revealed on June 22 at 5:00 PM JST in a YouTube live stream on Morning Musume's official channel,"モーニング娘。22日に15期メンバー発表へ　新曲発表ライブに2000人" (in Japanese). Sponichi Annex. 2019-06-11. as well as on UP-FRONT LINK's Facebook page."モーニング娘。'19新メンバー、6/22(土)17:00～YouTube・Facebook生配信にて発表！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2019-06-21. Members commented that at this time they have not been told any information about the results such as how many would join or how old they are.
Due to technical issues, the stream was delayed over 20 minutes past its scheduled start time.https://twitter.com/MorningMusumeMg/status/1142346328975892481 During the delay, it was announced that broadcast for Facebook was cancelled and the stream could only be watched on YouTube.https://twitter.com/UpFrontLink/status/1142348662925737984
The Morning Musume '19 members were still uninformed who won, except for leader Fukumura Mizuki, who stated in the opening talk before the reveal that she had visited the winners' homes to notify them they had won."モーニング娘２年ぶり新メンバー　研修生からも昇格" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 2019-06-22."【レポート】モーニング娘。 ’19、新メンバー15期に岡村ほまれ、北川莉央、山﨑愛生が加入！" (in Japanese). Pop'n'Roll. 2019-06-22.
The winners of the audition were:"ようこそ！モーニング娘。'19 新メンバーお披露目特番！" (in Japanese). Morning Musume (via YouTube). 2019-06-22."モーニング娘。'19 第15期メンバー決定！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2019-06-22.
*Okamura Homare, 14, Tokyo
*Kitagawa Rio, 15, Tokyo
The third member promoted from Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido was:
*Yamazaki Mei, 13, Hokkaido
==Trivia==
*Okamura Homare and Kitagawa Rio are the first non-trainees to join Morning Musume through a general audition in over four years since Ogata Haruna and Nonaka Miki passed the Morning Musume '14 <Golden> Audition.
*Hello Pro Kenshuusei members Hashida Honoka, Nishizaki Miku, Hirayama Yuki, Kitahara Momo, Ebata Kisaki, Yofu Runo, Murakoshi Ayana and Uemura Hasumi participated in the audition prior to joining the program. Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido member Hashimoto Ririka also participated in the audition prior to joining the program. Kawashima Mifu joined the program 2 years later after she failed the Hello! Project "Juice=Juice" "Tsubaki Factory" Goudou Shin Member Audition.
**Hashimoto Ririka later left Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido in April 2020.
**Ebata Kisaki later joined Juice=Juice in July 2021.
**Yofu Runo later joined Tsubaki Factory in July 2021.
**Nishizaki Miku and Kitahara Momo later debuted in OCHA NORMA in December 2021.
**Hirayama Yuki later joined ANGERME as a 10th generation member in December 2021.
**Kawashima Mifu later joined Hello Pro Kenshuusei as part of the 32nd generation in August 2021 and then joined Juice=Juice in May 2023.
**Hashida Honoka, Murakoshi Ayana and Uemura Hasumi later debuted in Rosy Chronicle in June 2024. 
*Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido member Ishiguri Kanami participated in the audition. She later debuted in OCHA NORMA in December 2021.
*Fukumura Mizuki visited the winners homes in mid-June 2019 to inform them they would become members, except for Okamura Homare who was invited to have a meeting at a café."[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLo5XPHKG9M 
【アプカミ#145】モーニング娘。'19新メンバー合格発表の瞬間・「アツイ！」ベースREC・森戸知沙希の「メイク講座」 MC : 宮本佳林 一岡伶奈]" (in Japanese). Upcoming (via YouTube). 2019-07-11.
*When Fukumura secretly made a visit to Yamazaki Mei in Hokkaido, she had convinced Ikuta Erina that she was going to do PR work at Hanabatake Farm.
*ANGERME had several individual handshake events on the same day as the reveal livesteam. One of the events was scheduled to start at 5:45 PM JST,"アンジュルムシングル26th発売記念【追加開催 個別握手会】" (in Japanese). Pony Canyon Shopping Club. (Archived) but after the livestream started late, Takeuchi Akari announced that the event would be delayed until all three members were revealed so everyone could watch it on their smartphones.https://twitter.com/masashisawatari/status/1142357921390481408 Fans crowded around smartphones in the handshakes lanes while Takeuchi delivered live commentary over the speakers and the ANGERME members' reactions could be heard.https://twitter.com/masashisawatari/status/1142357922959130624https://twitter.com/JPN_ENG_Kanda/status/1142384022393278464
==Videos==
==Gallery==
MM15ki-streamcapture02.jpg|Okamura Homare
MM15ki-streamcapture03.jpg|Kitagawa Rio
MM15ki-streamcapture04.jpg|Yamazaki Mei
MM15ki-Sponichi20190622.jpg|Yamazaki Mei, Okamura Homare, Kitagawa Rio
MM19-15kirevealgroupshot.jpg|Morning Musume '19
MM15ki-Upcomi145cap01.jpg|Okamura Homare's reaction to joining
MM15ki-Upcomi145cap02.jpg|Kitagawa Rio's reaction to joining
MM15ki-Upcomi145cap03.jpg|Yamazaki Mei's reaction to joining
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap01.jpg|Schedule and outline of the final round
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap02.jpg|Day 1 singing lesson with marron (Kitahara, Hirayama, Okamura, Nishizaki, Kitagawa, Unknown)
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap03.jpg|Day 1 dance lesson
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap04.jpg|Day 2 singing lesson
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap05.jpg|Day 2 dance lesson
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap06.jpg|Kitagawa Rio's solo examination
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap07.jpg|Okamura Homare's solo examination
MM19LOVEAudition-Upcomi147-screencap08.jpg|First lesson as Morning Musume '19 members
==References==
==External Links==
*Official Announcement
*Audition Website
fr:Morning Musume '19 LOVE Audition
Category:2019 Auditions
Category:Morning Musume Auditions
Category:15th Generation Morning Musume