Guitar Center Addresses 'Not Legitimate' Entries in Ed Sheeran Contest
Rolling Stone • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Guitar Center launched its "Open for Legends" contest on September 14, coinciding with Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's tour after the rapper's pro-Palestinian statements amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.
- The contest offers undiscovered musicians the chance to open for Sheeran in Mexico City, but organizers face challenges as many video submissions are memes or political statements rather than genuine applications.
- Guitar Center stated the competition was planned months before the controversy and emphasized that non-legitimate entries will be excluded to focus on talented musicians.
- Following Macklemore's removal, several supporting acts including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe withdrew from Sheeran's tour in solidarity with Palestine, leaving Sheeran without opening acts.
- The contest winner may become crucial for Sheeran's tour, provided Guitar Center can effectively manage the influx of non-serious submissions.
