Guitarist Of The Year 2019
Star judges announced, how to enter, and wise words from John Petrucci!
Our Guitarist Of The Year competition is now open for 2019 and we’re delighted to reveal not only a new category this year but also some of the star judges who will help to choose the finalists. In addition to last year’s Guitarist, Young Guitarist and Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year, there will now be a Bass Guitarist category in our search for new talent. Mark King (Level 42), Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai), Joe Dart (Vulfpeck) and Robert Trujillo (Metallica) have been confirmed as judges for the video submission stage. For Guitarist Of The Year, we’re delighted to announce Toto and session icon Steve Lukather, Dream Theater’s John Petrucci and Tosin Abasi of Animals As Leaders as judges, with virtuoso Andy McKee confirmed as the first judge for the Acoustic category. These judges will select three finalists from the online entries submitted in each category, scoring them for musicality, creativity, feel and originality. The finalists will then travel to London to perform live in front of a panel of judges at the UK Guitar Show on 21 and 22 September. Last year’s finalists flew in from Russia, the USA, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands with Canada’s Gabriel Cyr, the US’s Hunter Hallberg and Russia’s Alexandr Misko winning the Guitarist, Young Guitarist and Acoustic titles respectively.
Here’s a quick Q&A we did with Dream Theater’s John Petrucci on what he would like to see from this year’s GOTY entries...
What qualities will you be looking for in players who enter Guitarist of the Year? “Musicality and concept. Technique, tone, feel and emotion as well as originality.”
What tips can you offer players looking to enter? “Put your very best work forward from the beginning. Do not hold back. First impressions are extremely important.”
How important is sound and video quality compared to a good performance, creativity and originality? “It all matters. It is hard sometimes to get past bad sound or video quality. It also shows that the contestant cares and is more serious and invested in the competition if it all looks and sounds great as well.”
What advice do you have for guitarists who might be reluctant to put their playing out in the public domain?
“Take the leap! Although music comes from a very personal place, talent should be shared. Go for it!”
Did you ever enter any guitar competitions or battle of the bands when you were young? “Yes. I entered my demo into Mike Varney’s Spotlight column in Guitar Player magazine.”
What does playing guitar mean to you? “The guitar is the ultimate vehicle for expression and composition for me. It’s a part of my DNA!”
How to enter... Now you’ve been inspired by those wise words from one of the world’s most amazing guitarists, here’s what to do next...
Simply upload one video via YouTube of you performing, showcasing your playing for the category you want to enter. Fill in the entry form at http://bit.ly/ GOTY2019, where you’ll also find more info on submissions. The deadline is 3 July 2019.
Finally, here’s what the equally great Guthrie Govan said about his GOTY triumph back in 1992... “Winning Guitarist of the Year laid an important foundation without which my career might well have taken a rather different turn.”
Good luck. Now get cracking!
SIMPLY UPLOAD ONE VIDEO VIA YOUTUBE, SHOWCASING YOUR PLAYING FOR THE CATEGORY YOU WANT TO ENTER