Hard Rock is gearing up for one day of non-stop live music around the world. On Wednesday, June 1, more than 425 local artists and music acts will perform live at 107 Hard Rock Cafe and Hotel locations across the globe as part of the world’s largest, one-day music showcase—Hard Rock Rising. From New York to Japan to Australia, Hard Rock Rising, in partnership with ReverbNation, saw 10,000 up-and-coming musicians register to compete for a chance to become the Hard Rock Rising champion. The global grand prize-winner and four regional finalists will take home a professionally-produced music video, a 1,000 count CD/DVD pack of their latest recording from Bison Disc and a Fender Instruments prize pack. Additionally, the grand prize-winner will take home $50,000 USD and an all-expenses-paid trip to perform at Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza in September.
“This year marks the first time in the six year history of Hard Rock Rising that we are syncing all performances on one day, elevating the competition and creating an immersive, social experience for music fans worldwide,” said Jeff Nolan, Hard Rock International’s Music and Memorabilia Historian. “On June 1, you can walk into a Hard Rock Cafe or Hotel anywhere in the world and enjoy live music from some of the most talented up-and-coming acts in more than 100 markets.”
Hard Rock compiled a panel of artists and music industry veterans to judge this year’s competition. Together, the panel of talented and diverse judges will vote to determine who has what it takes to take home top honors. The judging panel includes:
• Echosmith
• Portugal. The Man
• A Day To Remember
• Jack Barakat of All Time Low
• Set It Off
• Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness
• Frightened Rabbit
• Tokyo Police Club
• You Me At Six
• Alex “Clemente” Castillo
• Cam
• Shen Lihui – General Manager of Modernsky Entertainment CO, LTD / Founder of Strawberry Music Festival
Bands participating in the June 1 showcase have been narrowed down from a record-breaking 10,000 entries entered via ReverbNation through a combination of online fan voting, and local Hard Rock Cafe or Hotel team nominations. On June 1, one winner will be selected at each location by a panel of local judges. (Music Connection's Associate Editor Siri Svay will be participating as a local judge for the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, CA!) These winners will be evaluated by the expert panel of international artists and music industry professionals, who will narrow the local winners down to four regional finalists and one global grand prize-winner.
See More: PHOTOS: Echosmith, PHOTOS: All Time Low
Committed to supporting music and emerging artists around the globe, Hard Rock International hosted more than 31,000 live music events worldwide in 2015. The brand continues its dedication to support up-and-coming artists in 2016 with Hard Rock Rising global music showcase, providing a forum for today’s new talent to connect with music fans around the world.
To follow Hard Rock and check out select Hard Rock Rising performances live on Facebook.
For a list of participating locations and artist profiles of the participants, visit HardRockRising.com.