D’Addario and Rolling Stone Seek the Next Generation of Guitar Heroes with “The Next Young Gun” Contest
D’Addario and Rolling Stone are in search of the guitar greats of tomorrow with “The Next Young Gun.”
This contest is a continuation of the 30-week Young Guns series on rollingstone.com, which showcased artists Kurt Vile, Blake Mills, Tosin Abasi, Guthrie Trapp, Gary Clark Jr. and many more.
This series premiered in conjunction with the release of D’Addario’s NYXL guitar strings, which were designed to bend farther, sing louder and stay in tune better than any string in history.
To be considered for The Next Young Gun, guitarists are asked submit a video of themselves playing their own original songs, licks, riffs or solos to rollingstone.com/nextyounggun before October 13.
D’Addario and Rolling Stone will choose up to eight finalists on October 30 and open online voting from November 5 to November 24, with a distinguished panel of musicians acting as additional judges. Participants and voters on social media can use the hashtag, #nextyounggun to keep the conversation going. The winner will be announced December 8.
The grand prize includes a profile and coverage on RollingStone.com, a trip to Los Angeles to record at some of the country’s top studios (including Swinghouse and TRS West), a gig at an LA club and a one-year supply of D’Addario strings. Every entrant will receive a free set of D’Addario NYXLs.
Visit daddario.com and rollingstone.com/youngguns to see D’Addario’s commitment to nurturing creativity and performance.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Since 1980, Guitar World has been the ultimate resource for guitarists. Whether you want to learn the techniques employed by your guitar heroes, read about their latest projects or simply need to know which guitar is the right one to buy, Guitar World is the place to look.

“I walk in and Hans has me sit down. And he goes, ‘Let’s just get down to business. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately’”: After his spiritual awakening, Tim Henson is ready for anything – heavy Polyphia, trippy solo records and A-list film collabs

“There’s amazing players like Josh Smith and Eric Gales, and I thought, ‘OK, I’ve been missing out. I’m learning the blues’”: Tosin Abasi said he wanted to release a blues album – is it still on the cards?