And the GRAMMY® Winner Is?

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As the world readies for the biggest night in music, The Recording Academy®'s GRAMMY® Awards, AXS TV is giving fans a precursor for what to expect, gathering a prestigious panel of experts to predict winners of the most prestigious categories. Hosted by AXS TV's Ryan Stout, GRAMMY PREDICTION SPECIAL is a one-hour LIVE program that features expert opinion from renowned music critic Bob Lefsetz, music newsmaker DJ Skee, and research entrepreneur John Dick of CivicScience. GRAMMY PREDICTION SPECIAL airs Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) with rebroadcasts throughout the week.

Fueled by polling conducted from the next-generation data mining company CivicScience, AXS TV's panel of experts will debate CivicScience's findings and also express their own opinions concerning the GRAMMY's top categories including Song of the Year; Album of the Year and Record of the Year, among others.

"With this special we are bringing the world of analytics to music in a new fashion, striving to address an area that is seldom tackled, which is correctly predicting winners before the envelopes are opened," stated Mark Cuban, AXS TV founder and member of CivicScience's Advisory Board. "Partnering with CivicScience—led by John Dick, who will be appearing on the show—it is our goal with AXS TV's GRAMMY PREDICTION SPECIAL, to use CivicScience's advance polling, analytics and analysis to gauge who the front runners are on this monumental night."

In addition to debating the analytical information, host Ryan Stout will moderate a distinguished panel of experts that AXS TV has assembled to serve as "musical pundits." Music critic Bob Lefsetz, who authors the highly regarded "The Lefsetz Letter," is known for spirited opinions regarding the issues that are at the core of the music business. He is joined by DJ Skee—host of AXS TV's SKEE LIVE—a leading newsmaker at the forefront of cultural trends in music, and one of the most influential figures in today's entertainment business as a composer, radio host and disc jockey. Skee is revered for his knowledge of all music genres, from pop to rock to hip-hop to EDM, as well as spotting talent. Rounding out the panel is the CEO of CivicScience Inc., John Dick, a serial entrepreneur and business development executive whose company has provided trusted data for a variety of entertainment subjects. The panel will discuss topics such as who will win the GRAMMY for "Best New Artist?" Will it be James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis, Kacey Musgraves or Ed Sheeran?

CivicScience is using a proprietary method for predicting the Grammy winners, by analyzing results to surveys conducted online among a mix of music enthusiasts and general consumers. This year, over 100,000 surveys will be included in the company's analysis. To participate in the research study, fans can visit http://www.iqpoll.com/grammys/ or www.axs.tv, where they will be able to vote until the show's premiere.

CivicScience's method has been lauded by leading academics, most recently for the company's forecasting of the 2013 Oscars. "During our analysis of the 2013 Academy Awards®, we were impressed with the accuracy of CivicScience's innovative technique in predicting the winners, especially compared to the industry pundits and so-called experts," said Dr. David Rothschild, economist, Microsoft Research.

GRAMMY PREDICTION CATEGORIES INCLUDE:
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Best New Artist
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Best Rock Performance
Best Rock Album
Best Rap Album
Best Country Album

ABOUT AXS TV

Bringing music back to television, AXS TV, launched in July of 2012 by visionary entrepreneur Mark Cuban, has created a one-of-a-kind, live television environment for entertainment and other cutting-edge trends. AXS TV delivers relevant, unpredictable and irreverent programming offering an unparalleled experience to a nationwide audience by presenting unfiltered, uncensored and uncut access to entertainers and their performances. "AXS TV Concerts," indicative of the network's dedication to music programming, crosses genres and international waters to deliver everything from stadium tours to club acts to tribute bands to some of the most anticipated festivals on the calendar, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Stagecoach Festival in California and the British Summer Time at Hyde Park Festival. A roster of diverse and unique talent is also a hallmark of the network with shows hosted by Dan Rather, Tom Green and Art Mann; performances by artists such as Carrie Underwood, Maroon 5 and Billy Joel as well as the top comics working the circuit on the signature "Gotham Comedy Live." Sports programming is led by "AXS TV Fights" which produces over 40 live mixed martial arts broadcasts a year in addition to the longest running weekly MMA news show on television, "Inside MMA." The network is available in the United States via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other TV providers. It is also distributed in Canada and the Caribbean. The network is spearheaded by a partnership including Mark Cuban, AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and CBS. For more information, visit the website, www.axs.tv; go to the Facebook page here and follow the company on Twitter, @axstv; on Instagram;  Tumblr  and YouTube.

SOURCE AXS TV