Powerball First Millionaire of the Year Returns this New Year’s
Sunday June 19th 2022For the fourth year in a row, one lucky Powerball player has the chance to ring in the New Year by becoming a millionaire live on TV.
MRC Live & Alternative and Powerball have announced that the popular "Powerball First Millionaire of the Year"promotion will return in 2022. The winner of the $1 million top prize will be announced during the "Dick Clark's New Year’s Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023" TV special on ABC.
The lucky winner will be drawn live on air just after the ball drops at midnight in Times Square.
For the first time since 2019, players will travel to New York in person to participate in the festivities. "We're excited to have our players return to New York City for this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience." said May Scheve Reardon, Powerball Product Group Chair and Missouri Lottery Executive Director. "This has become a powerhouse partnership between Powerball and MRC Live & Alternative to be able to showcase the exhilarating moment of a new millionaire every New Year."
How the Promotion Works
Lotteries nationwide will conduct contests using Powerball tickets submitted by players to randomly choose local semi-finalists. Out of this pool, a national group of five finalists will be drawn. One of these players will become the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year.
Each finalist is eligible for an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for themselves and one other person. The trip includes travel, three nights in a Times Square hotel, a Broadway show or Hudson River cruise, and attendance at the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve party.
These are the lotteries that will take part in this year’s promotion: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana (Hoosier), Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Each lottery above will conduct its own contest this summer or fall; check with your local lottery to find out the entry deadline, draw date and participation criteria.
Past Powerball First Millionaire of the Year Winners
The First Millionaire promotion shows that you never know where the next big winner will come from. Here are the lucky winners from previous years:
2022: Brian Mineweaser from Honey Brook, PA
"Wait, us?" Mineweaser’s wife Dorothy asked her husband in astonishment after she learned his number had been drawn."Yes, we won!" he replied. "My heart's pounding right now, Ryan," Mineweaser told host Ryan Seacrest. "This is unbelievable. To have this for my family is amazing. I don't think I'm gonna sleep for a while right now." He said he would use his winnings to send his four children to college.
2021: Carlos Mabry from Washington, D.C.
Mabry was watching the draw at home with his family when he learned he’d won. "Tell me what is flowing through your body and blood right now," Seacrest asked the new millionaire. After a moment of silence, Mabry exclaimed, "All glory to God!" Earlier he’d said he would support his church and various good causes. Mabry revealed that he played every Powerball draw, but "up until this, the most I have won was $18."
2020: Blaine Marston from Passadumkeag, Maine
"I can’t even believe it, this is unreal," Marston said when his number was drawn. "Like I’m dreaming!" He said he would donate some of his prize and invest the rest, but would definitely keep the job he loves at a non-profit that runs group homes for the developmentally disabled.
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