Cumulus' neX2rock Garners 1800 Submissions

Cumulus Media’s neXt2rock 2017 competition — a national and local grassroots search for the nation’s newest rock star — is off to a roaring start with over 1,800 submissions, and thousands of fans weighing in on their favorites thus far.

The winner of this four-month-long competition will receive a record deal with Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, as well as substantial exposure, commensurate with a major label release, on Cumulus radio stations nationwide.

Emerging artists will first be rated by Cumulus listeners — currently underway now and continuing through Oct. 25, 11:59 pm ET. Fans are invited to listen and rate artists’ submitted music, and then socially share their favorite(s). All those participating in the rating process will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the neXt2rock 2017 finale at the Viper Room in Los Angeles on Dec. 12.

Mentor Judges for the competition’s finale include some of rock’s most successful and passionate purveyors: Big Machine Label Group President & CEO Scott Borchetta; musician, songwriter and producer Desmond Child; record producer Bob Ezrin; Sex Pistols' guitarist and host of “Jonesy’s Jukebox” Steve Jones; and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale.

Video messages from the mentor judges can be found at neXt2rock’s Facebook page, and Rossdale just released a personal video this week extolling the virtues and importance of fans to the neXt2rock competition and to the artists they love and support.

In November, mentor judges Rossdale and Borchetta will host weekly Twitter Q&As to advise contestants and further engage fans, and details and dates will be announced soon.

With the launch of neXt2rock under Cumulus Media's "Next" franchise, Cumulus pays tribute to the great tradition of radio as a launch pad for the up-and-coming artists of today who become the legendary bands of tomorrow, and also celebrates rock music in all its irreverent, loud, poetic and powerful formats.  In its 3rd year hosting the “Next” franchise platform, Cumulus Media is the first radio broadcaster to offer its national platform to support unsigned artists.

“It’s refreshing and exciting to see and hear the wide spectrum of entries we’ve received for our first neXt2rock competition,” said Mike McVay, Executive Vice President, Content & Programming. “It’s especially encouraging to see how diverse the submissions are within the genre, which further proves that rock music is alive and well, and its future remains bright.”

Sixty-One Cumulus stations in 47 markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Minneapolis, have conducted local grassroots searches, with additional national participation made possible by Cumulus' digital properties and syndicated rock shows.

neXt2rock2017 is Cumulus Media's second installment of its "Next" franchise, which was launched last year with NASH Next, the successful country version of the competition. While television boasts several talent competitions, the "Next" franchise platform is the first to radio broadcaster to offer its winners coveted radio play, which is the most effective medium to cultivate an artist and propel a major music career.