FOURTH ANNUAL REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARD SHOW PRESENTED BY EPIPHONE® SET FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, AT CLUB NOKIA IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

GENE SIMMONS TO BE HONORED ALONG WITH PERFORMANCES BY MARILYN MANSON, SLASH FEATURING MILES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, EVANESCENCE, SIXX:A.M. AND BLACK VEIL BRIDES; SHOW TO BE BROADCAST ON XBOX LIVE

GRAMMY MUSEUM TO LAUNCH NEW EXHIBIT: "GOLDEN GODS: THE HISTORY OF HEAVY METAL" ON DAY OF SHOW

America’s only hard-rock and heavy-metal award show is back for 2012! The fourth annual REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARD SHOW presented by Epiphone^® will take place Wednesday, April 11, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages. Tickets go on sale today Wednesday, February 15, via Ticketmaster, click here.

“Our exclusive collaboration with Revolver Magazine on the Golden Gods event shows just how far Xbox LIVE has come as an entertainment destination,” said Ross Honey, GM of Xbox LIVE Entertainment & Advertising. “We’re excited to deliver this live original content to all Xbox LIVE members globally.”

Also on April 11, The GRAMMY Museum, next door to Club Nokia, will open its new exhibit Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal. Mounted in coordination with Revolver, the exhibit will feature never-before-displayed artifacts including instruments, stage props, handwritten lyrics, clothing and costumes, alongside original album artwork, posters and live-performance and interview footage. The exhibit will also feature a variety of interactive displays. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Revolver to tell the story of metal,” states GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, “and offer fans the opportunity to engage with their favorite artists in such a personal way.”

Hosting duties for the GOLDEN GODS awards show will be handled by FOZZY frontman and WWE pro-wrestling legend Chris Jericho, who returns for the third consecutive year. The nominees in 11 different categories, plus the recipient of this year’s prestigious “Golden God Award,” were revealed today at a press conference held at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles. Host Chris Jericho was on hand, along with Alice Cooper, Munky (Korn), Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah), James Michael (Sixx:A.M.), Vinny Appice (Heaven & Hell, Kill Devil Hill), Black Veil Brides, Mike Portnoy (Adrenaline Mob), John Moyer (Disturbed, Adrenaline Mob), Michael Starr (Steel Panther), Wendy Dio (wife of Ronnie James Dio) and pro motocross rider Brian Deegan to announce the nominees.

Beginning today, fans everywhere can cast their vote to decide who will take home the awards for “Best Guitarist” (presented by Epiphone^®), “Best Drummer” (presented by Drum Workshop^®), “Best Vocalist” (presented by Rockstar Energy Drink^®), “Album of the Year” (presented by Marshall Amplification^®), “Best Live Band” (presented by Samson/Zoom^®), “Most Metal Athlete,” “Comeback of the Year” (presented by Eagle Rock Entertainment^®), “Riff Lord,” “Paul Gray Best Bassist” (presented by Dean Markley^®), “Best International Band” (presented by Musicians Institute^®) and “Most Dedicated Fans.” Voting starts today at: www.GoldenGodsAwards.com and ends on April 1. The complete list of nominees in each category is listed below.

The Golden God Award, given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, will go to KISS demon Gene Simmons, whose band will release their highly anticipated 20^th studio album, “Monster,” this year. (Previous honorees include hard-rock and metal legends Alice Cooper, Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST and Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH.) Simmons commented, “It’s an honor and privilege to accept the Golden God Award. A God is only as powerful as the faithful who worship him. Signed GOD OF THUNDER.”

Adding to the celebration, The 2012 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW will feature one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honor both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night’s hard-rocking musical performances will include sets by MARILYN MANSON (in his first U.S. performance in nearly three years); iconic GRAMMY-winning guitarist SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators; EVANESCENCE; SIXX:A.M. featuring Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE, James Michael, acclaimed rock producer and songwriter, and DJ Ashba of GUNS N’ ROSES (in their first performance in almost four years); and 2011 Best New Band Golden God Award winner BLACK VEIL BRIDES, who will perform their only U.S. show of 2012 so far. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Every year, the Revolver Golden Gods grows bigger and more badass. The 2012 edition is without question the most epic one yet, from the performers and presenters to the nominees and honorees,” states Revolver Editor in Chief Brandon Geist. “And this year, with the GRAMMY Museum launching its tie-in ‘Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal’ exhibit, and Xbox LIVE broadcasting the show around the world as it goes down in its entirety, the event will truly encompass the full timeline of heavy music and span the globe. Epic, indeed."

“Epiphone and I are thrilled to participate in the Golden Gods Awards Show and celebrate some of music’s best talents – including this year’s performers from our Epiphone/Gibson family Nikki Sixx and Slash,” said Jim Rosenberg, President of Epiphone. “We are excited to share this year’s event with Epiphone players and metal fans across the globe with the show’s inaugural live broadcast. Every year, the show gets better and better!”

Cast your vote now at GOLDENGODSAWARDS.COM.

Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with T-Pain: The Chance of a Lifetime for One Unsigned Artist to Record with the Grammy Award-Winning Artist

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Feb. 1, 2012 -- Guitar Center enters 2012 with the launch of the next installment of the music retailer's inspirational artist discovery program, Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with T-Pain. The ground-breaking, career-altering program, which begins accepting submissions on Feb. 1., will offer one emerging artist the unprecedented opportunity to record with Grammy winning artist, writer, and producer, T-Pain. As this series' host of Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record, T-Pain joins the ranks of previous hosts including legendary artists Slash, Keith Urban, and most recently, Travis Barker.

How to Enter: Starting today through April 4, 2012, unsigned artists across the United States, are invited to submit their unique music track at http://tpain.whooznxt.com/.

Your Next Record with T-Pain Winner to Receive:

• A 3-song EP produced by Young Fyre (produced several tracks on T-Pains "rEVOLVEr" album)
• T-Pain to produce and write on winner's single
• Complete Pro-tools HD Native recording studio
• MPC 5000 music production studio
• New gear and products from SHURE, iZotope and ROCKSTAR Energy Drink
• Worldwide music distribution through TuneCore

"I am all about coming up with that next, fresh, new, exciting idea," said T-Pain. "It's important that we give up-and-coming artists a chance to share their talent with the world. This is exactly what Guitar Center is doing with Your Next Record and that's why I'm proud to be part of this."

"Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record was created to give undiscovered musicians a platform to get their sound heard and their record made," said Dustin Hinz, director of music and entertainment marketing + artist relations for Guitar Center. "Each session we have seen an increase in the entries and even more talented winners, including last session's winner, Brandon Green who was hand-picked by Keith Urban. T-Pain is sure to bring a fresh perspective to judging and producing this year's competition and we can't wait to see how it all plays out."

How the Competition Works
Unsigned artists have up to nine weeks to submit their original track via Guitar Center's Your Next Record website http://tpain.whooznxt.com/.

Guitar Center has commissioned leading online music company NXTM and will utilize their Whooznxt social media ranking platform to host and judge the first round. Competing artists will be ranked on how well they're able to connect with fans through social media. T-Pain and an expert panel of judges will select one winner to receive the grand prize from among the top 100 ranked entries.

T-Pain is a Grammy winning, platinum-selling artist, writer and producer who has produced and written a plethora of chart-topping and platinum-selling singles, garnered "Songwriter of the Year" and "Producer of the Year" honors at the BMI Urban Awards and earned a BET Award. T-Pain continues to expand his brand with fresh and exciting ideas like the innovative I Am T-Pain mobile app, which has since spawned the I Am T-Pain Mic and The T-Pain Effect. The T-Pain effect is exclusively produced by iZotope and available at Guitar Center stores nationwide. His recently released album, "rEVOLVEr," is available now on iTunes: http://bit.ly/sy9KXI .

Internationally renowned drummer Travis Barker jumped into the fray on the most recent installment of Guitar Center's Your Next Record, choosing Connecticut based band Twin Berlin as the Grand Prize Winner. During the second session of the groundbreaking program singer-songwriter Brandon Green received a phone call from Keith Urban informing him that he had been hand selected as the winner. Green's single "Love Lovin' You" featuring Keith Urban will be released this fall. Guitar Center's inaugural session featured legendary guitarist Slash. The winning band, State Line Empire, released their single "Drive Me" recorded with the iconic guitarist in March of 2011.

Guitar Center's commitment to unsigned artists runs deep with a full calendar year of programs that aim to provide musicians with the opportunity and exposure they need to be successful. In addition to Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter, these include:

• Guitar Center On-Stage is an annual competition that provides unsigned artist that chance to open for established artists such as Motley Crue, KISS and Jane's Addiction.
• Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter is an artist discovery program which aims to find the nation's best unsigned singer-songwriter. The winner receives a career-altering prize package including recording 3 songs with accomplished Grammy Award-winning Producer John Shanks, recording time at Converse Rubber Tracks studio and $10,000 cash. The grand finale takes place in Los Angeles on Feb. 18.
• Guitar Center's King of the Blues is a nationwide amateur guitar skills competition with the goal of finding the next great undiscovered blues guitar player. This year's winner, Jonathon "Boogie" Long, performed alongside Grammy-winning guitarist Warren Haynes at the Grand Finals in LA, and won an incredible prize package valued at over $50,000.
• Guitar Center's Drum-Off , entering its 24^th year, is the nationwide search for the next great undiscovered drummer. Drummers from across the nation compete in the world's largest drum competition, vying for thousands of dollars in prizes and the coveted title of Guitar Center's Drum-Off Champion. The grand prize package is valued at nearly $50,000.

About Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 224 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

SOURCE Guitar Center