CBS'S "GRAMMY(R) GIG OF A LIFETIME" CONTEST RETURNS FOR 2014 WITH TOP MUSICAL TALENT SIGNING ON AS JUDGES

Presented by Microsoft Surface, Contest Gives Aspiring Bands the Chance to Perform During GRAMMY(R) Week Festivities

Judging Panel - Chart-Topping Rockers Fall Out Boy, MTV VMA "Artist to Watch" Winner Austin Mahone and BRIT "Critics Choice" Award Winner Emeli Sandé - To Pick 40 Finalists for Public Vote

Nov. 7, 2013 - CBS Interactive today announced the kick off to its third-annual "GRAMMY(R) Gig of a Lifetime" contest[i] to give aspiring musicians across the country the chance to perform during a GRAMMY(R) Week event. The performance will also be available on-demand as part of GRAMMY(R) Live, a digital experience featuring streaming events and exclusive coverage around Music's Biggest Night(R). Presented by Surface, the official tablet partner of THE 56th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS(R), this year's contest will tap top musical talent from different genres - Fall Out Boy, Austin Mahone, and Emeli Sandé - to help select the finalists before the public votes on their choice for the winning band.

Nominations for "GRAMMY Gig of a Lifetime" are now open, and will close Dec. 10. Bands can visit CBS.com/GrammyGig to submit by sharing a short video of themselves performing an original song. On CBS.com, they'll also find videos featuring each of the judges sharing tips and discussing what criteria they'll be looking for while choosing the finalists. Following the first round of submissions, the judging panel will then narrow the nominees to 40 finalists. Voting on the finalists will open to the public on Dec. 22 and close Jan. 10.

The winner will be announced on Jan. 17, 2014, and flown out to Los Angeles to participate in GRAMMY Week events later that month, culminating in a live performance in front of a live audience at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The performance will also be available to fans around the globe on-demand via CBS.com, GRAMMY.com and the GRAMMY Live mobile apps.

GRAMMY Live will kick off on Jan. 26, and feature coverage spanning all the VIP events leading up to THE 56th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS airing live that same evening on the CBS Television Network (8:00-11:30 pm ET). GRAMMY Live is available online on CBS.com and GRAMMY.com, and across the GRAMMY mobile applications. It will include exclusive coverage from GRAMMY Week events, live-streaming of The 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast red carpet, behind-the-scenes access, and offer music fans second-screen features during the live telecast.

About the "GRAMMY Gig of a Lifetime" Judges

Fall Out Boy: Chart-topping rockers Fall Out Boy - Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman, and Andy Hurley - recently released their fifth album, Save Rock and Roll, which went on to become the band's second #1 album. They've won multiple MTV VMA and Teen Choice Awards.

Austin Mahone: At just 17 years old, singer/songwriter Austin Mahone is poised for stardom. He has won the MTV Video Music Award for "Artist to Watch," and his hit single, "What About Love," has gained nearly 40 million views on YouTube and can be heard on top radio stations around the nation. Austin recently wrapped touring with Taylor Swift's RED Tour and will be headlining his own tour, MTV Artist to Watch Presents Austin Mahone, starting early next year.

Emeli Sandé: Emeli Sandé's remarkable voice and song-writing abilities took the world by storm. Last year, she performed in the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the London Olympics, released the UK's biggest-selling debut album of the year, and won the coveted BRIT Award's Critics Choice Award.

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