Sky Arts strikes a chord with Guitar Star, a new search for a World-cla guitarist

Sky Arts picks up a plectrum and turns up the volume to launch Guitar Star, a major new competition searching for a top-class guitarist. The series will search the UK and Ireland for amazing guitar players who are willing to jam, strum and pluck their way to victory, for the chance to perform on the main stage of major UK music festival, Latitude. Along the way they will be mentored by some of the biggest guitar stars in the world.

The 9-part series, presented by Edith Bowman, is a search for a new star player of any type of guitar. Entrants can be any age and play in any style - rock, classical, jazz or acoustic. The search will begin with auditions and culminate with the winner playing in front of thousands at the festival.

The competing guitarists will be tested on their ability to play both in a range of musical styles and a genre of their choice, and will perform at famous venues associated with their chosen style. Throughout the process, they will meet and be mentored by some of the biggest guitar stars in the world. The semi-finalists will hone their act in a recording studio, where they will work with a global guitar legend to perfect their sound.

After auditions, 16 of the best guitarists will be whittled down to 4 finalists by the judges, before the series comes to its stunning climax at the 10th Latitude Festival with the winning guitarist performing a live set on the festivals main stage.

Edith Bowman, presenter of Guitar Star commented: The guitar is the most loved and most played instrument in the UK and I just know there are some fantastic unknown players out there. What's great and refreshing about this series is that for the first time we are looking for brilliant guitar players to showcase their amazing talent. I've spent my life listening to and sharing great music of all kinds and I can't wait to get stuck in to celebrating the wonders of the guitar across rock, jazz, folk, classical and beyond! As a festival lover I also can't wait for the moment when our winner takes to the main stage at Latitude - incredible!

Philip Edgar-Jones, Director, Sky Arts commented: Great music is one of our big passions at Sky Arts and I've always dreamed of playing to crowds at a festival but alas, my rendition of Smoke on The Water won't quite cut it for this exciting Sky Arts competition series. Whether it's electric or acoustic, classical or rock, Guitar Star is about those undiscovered geniuses of the frets with a real passion for music of all genres. I can't wait to see the winner perform on the main stage at The Latitude Festival and who knows, they might even be the next Clapton, Page or Hendrix

Entry information can be found at sky.com/Guitar

For further information, please contact:

Dominic Collet

Publicist, Sky Arts

Dominic.collett@bskyb.com

020 7032 4892

Follow us on twitter @skyarts

For images, please go to Imagenet or email Stills@bskyb.com

Notes To Editors

About Guitar Star

The 9 x 60mins series was commissioned for Sky by Barbara Lee. It will be created by Somethin' Else in a co-production with GroupM Entertainment. The Co-Executive Producers are Jez Nelson and Sadia Butt for Somethin'Else and Melanie Darlaston For GroupM Entertainment.

About Sky

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company with 20 million customers across five countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK and Ireland. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.

Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of over £4.6 billion. The company employs 31,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY). For more information visit www.sky.com/corporate

About Somethin' Else

Somethin Else is a BAFTA winning content agency that describes itself as being obsessed with audiences . Its multiplatform work across online, social, radio and television has seen it creating content strategy and production with brands and broadcasters for over twenty years. Key clients include the BBC (for whom it is the biggest multi-platform provider), Sky, The BRIT Awards, Red Bull, Foxy Bingo, BBC Music and The Economist.

Recent things of note include the agency producing the iOS Game of the Year in 2013 (Papa Sangre II), creating a digital strategy for the BRITs 2014 that resulted in the most tweeted about event in UK TV history, the weekly production of over 30 shows for BBC Radio, and the creation of the flagship Ten Pieces cinematic film for BBC Music.

Its high quality of delivery has seen it recognised in recent years with Cannes Lions, BAFTAs and SONY Radio Awards. The agency is a member of the IPA and PACT.

About GroupM Entertainment

GroupM Entertainment co-produces, finances and distributes for a wide range of international television and digital markets. GMEs primary business interests extend across all media platforms and a variety of genres - entertainment, factual, factual entertainment, game shows, quiz shows and drama. In partnership with some of the UK's best production talent, GME has delivered primetime series for broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky, and has established commercial partnerships with the world's leading distribution companies. GME is part of GroupM, the worlds leading full-service media investment management operation, a WPP company.

LINK:	https://corporate.sky.com/media-centre/news-page/2015/sky-arts-strikes...
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