The folks at Country Summer, a major country music festival in Santa Rose, CA, have teamed with the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to sponsor a band competition called the Fender Contender Challenge.
Bands and individual artists will vie by video for a chance to win a $5000 prize, plus an opportunity to open the festival on June 5.
To enter, you’ll need to upload a live video of your band performing to YouTube, and complete the simple application form online by March 31. The Country Summer judging panel will then narrow the field down to 10 top contenders, and the public will vote online to establish a final four.
A second round of public votes on the Country Summer site will commence on April 16, with the balloting determining the winner on May 1st. Contestants from all around the globe will be considered, but the winner will be responsible for their own travel expenses to reach the festival and claim their prize. Hotel accommodations will be provided on site.
The competition is open to country acts – which we take to include bluegrass – that are 18 years or older. Wouldn’t it be great to see a strong young bluegrass band win the competition?
So get those videos up and show the world why bluegrass artists can be the strongest contenders in country music!
Full contest rules are posted online.
