Music unites; it resonates and empowers. Talented musicians can quickly become voices of the generation. To put it simply, music is powerful.

Jägermeister embraces the influence of the artistry of music and gives voice to talented musicians who are rarely given any opportunities to grow and make a career out of their passion.

The Jägermeister Back the Artist initiative was launched in 2013.

“Too often, music and creativity suffer because of time and funding restraints. Back The Artist is there to remove these elements and help nurture and grow talent. Opportunity comes round once and when it comes knocking at the door, nothing should be in the way of your passion,” says Greyling.

Thus, the Jägermeister Back the Artist initiative was launched in 2013. It is an online platform that gives aspiring musicians the chance to be heard.
“We started the campaign in 2013 with the sole purpose of finding an artist or band that had a sound that would set the next trend, to connect them to a top local producer and give them time and freedom in a studio to work in and be creative.”

2015 sees the campaign rising to new heights with Jägermeister taking a 360-degree approach to the platform.

The process for entry is simple. Musicians upload their track to the Back the Artist website and a voting process begins. The winner of the competition will get their single produced by legendary South African hip-hop star, HHP, and be rewarded with contracts that encourage and enable career longevity.

Greyling explains, “We have lined up top managers, artists, bands and producers to give the finalists some industry knowledge to assist with their growth and planning for their future. The reason for this is that we have found that artists and bands often get removed from the planning aspect of their career, and we want them to know where to focus their efforts and how the industry works.”

The winning artist/band will receive the following:

  • A track produced by HHP; 
  • A music video; 
  • A gig at one of SA's biggest festivals;
  • Full artist support contract for one year by the Jägermusic programme; 
  • Band merchandise; 
  • Top five will play live at a show in Johannesburg in front of celebrities and the music industry’s best; 
  • Top five will spend the morning with top artists to share a bit of knowledge; and
  • Plenty of PR to kick-start their career.
 
“I am very excited to see what talent we will be unearthing this year, and even more excited to change the life of the next winning artist or band,” says Greyling. Watch this space!

For more information on the competition, visit the Back The Artist website. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter using the #backtheartist2015 hashtag.