Fender Musical Instruments Corp. (FMIC) unveiled its second-annual class of artists joining Fender Next, a Fender’s artist development program designed to support rising musicians that are expanding the world of guitar in music and culture. As part of the program, artists get access to resources, such as Fender’s guitars, amps and more, and the chance to share their story and music with Fender’s millions of fans worldwide.
“It was incredible to see four Fender Next artists from our inaugural group nominated for several awards this season, and we’re proud to have provided resources and supported them on their musical journey,” said Fender CMO Evan Jones. “This new class of artists has taken guitar in a new, innovative direction, and Fender is proud to support their advancement to the next phase of their careers. These players show that guitar is alive and thriving in music, as it continues to be used in fresh, inventive ways across all genres.”
In 2020, Fender will expand the fan interactivity of Fender Next across several mediums. To accomplish this, the brand has launched a dedicated microsite serving as the hub for all things Fender Next , from weekly updates on the program’s artists, to tour and album announcements, and news on upcoming Fender events. Along with these regular updates, Fender will spotlight one of the program’s 25 artists each week on the microsite and across the brand’s social media channels. These features will include live performance content, interviews, and gear recommendations directly from the artists.
This year’s Fender Next group includes a batch of 25 rising artists (9 U.S. artists and 16 global) across genres, generations, genders and backgrounds that are expanding the world of guitar in music and culture. The global artists in the 2020 class were hand-selected by Fender’s best-in-class artist marketing team via a submission process and span genres, such as pop, country/Americana, R&B, hip hop, indie and alternative rock. This diverse group is more than 50 percent female and represents the face of guitar around the world with acts hailing from 10 countries across five continents.
Artists include Black Pumas, Omar Apollo, Orville Peck, The Regrettes, Beabadoodee, Dana Williams and more.
“Since 1946, Fender has been supporting artists at every stage of their career and our second annual Fender Next program continues our commitment to elevate and amplify artists that are moving music forward today,” said Matt Watts, vice president of marketing at Fender. “We’re excited to introduce this year’s Fender Next class, which will have our dedicated support in reaching new audiences through our world-class marketing efforts. It’s truly a globally-diverse group of extraordinary artists that are sure to inspire the next generation of fans and players.”