Contestants were asked to choose a person, place, thing, event, or fad to replace the soon-to-be outdated reference. The winning lyrics include "Recession," "Prop 8," "This show, " and "Your mother-in-law," with the first of these debuting on January 20, the day of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

Over 2,000 entries from across the nation and around the globe were submitted. The winners were chosen by the show's producers and creators Jeff Marx, Robert Lopez, and Jeff Whitty, and will receive a prize package which includes an autographed poster and program, the show's cast recording, a copy of the Avenue Q book, and an autographed copy of the revised script complete with the winner's new lyric.