All you need to know to enter the Guitarist Of The Year competition

Britain’s got guitar talent – and Guitarist is going to find it! The Guitarist Of The Year competition was due to run at last year’s London Music Show. The show itself was cancelled, so we’ve secured an amazing slot for the finals, at London’s Royal Festival Hall during the London Guitar Festival 2011! We’ve also extended the entry dates, so you have one last opportunity to enter for a chance to win fantastic prizes, and to battle it out at one of three live finals held at the London Guitar Festival on 3-4 June 2011 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London.

Guitarist Of The Year is actually three competitions in one –

Young Guitarist Of The Year sponsored by Blackstar Amplification (open to GB residents aged 16 or below on 3 June 2011)
Guitarist Of The Year sponsored by Vigier Guitars (open to GB residents aged 17 and over on 4 June 2011)
Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year sponsored by Takamine Guitars (open to all GB residents on 4 June 2011)

The final of each competition will take place on the days specified above, at the London Guitar Festival 2011.

All you have to do to enter is send an MP3 of an original composition, either with or without backing track, that’s no more than four minutes long. An independent judging panel will judge all the competition entries based on four criteria: composition, technical ability, taste and feel, performance and delivery. The panel will then prepare a shortlist of five finalists for each competition, which will be announced in Guitarist magazine and on Guitarist.co.uk. The finalists in each competition will then face off in one of three live finals before a panel of expert judges and industry figures.

The winner will win some amazing prizes courtesy of the sponsor of each category, and will enjoy the prestige of being crowned Guitarist Of The Year. The winners will also be featured in Guitarist magazine and will have the chance to open Guitarist Of The Year 2012.

Before entering, be sure to read the Terms & Conditions carefully by clicking here.
Important – if you are under 18, a parent or guardian must consent to you entering the competition on your behalf.

The closing date for entries to Young Guitarist Of The Year, Guitarist Of The Year and Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year is 6pm GMT, Saturday 30 April 2011.

The shortlist will be announced at the Guitarist website on 11 May 2011. Good luck!