Rolling Stone Launches "Women Who Rock" Cover Contest to Feature the Next Great Female Music Star

NEW YORK, June 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a nod to the outstanding and diverse array of female music artists who are dominating the music world, Rolling Stone announced today the launch of a new national "Women Who Rock" contest, in partnership with Garnier Fructis, that will award one aspiring female artist the opportunity to appear on the back cover of the iconic music magazine. Consumers will vote to determine the winner, who will be featured in the "Women Who Rock" issue along with another female music legend on the primary cover.

Starting today, the contest will kick off with six finalists, handpicked by Rolling Stone editors, who represent a range of musical genres and are already making an impact in the industry. The finalists will be introduced in the magazine, and consumers will also be able to view videos, interviews and other content at RollingStone.com/WomenWhoRock to get to know the artists better and vote for their favorites. The top two finalists will go head-to-head on stage at the Rolling Stone Rock Room at Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 3 and 4. The performances will be posted on RollingStone.com and consumers will vote to determine the winner. Throughout the contest, Us Weekly will feature the finalists in the magazine; online at UsMagazine.com and in a "Rock Your Style" section that will showcase style ideas inspired by today's hottest female music artists.

"Rolling Stone has helped launch the careers of some of the greatest female artists of all time, from Janis Joplin to Debbie Harry to Lady Gaga," says Nathan Brackett, Rolling Stone Deputy Managing Editor. "With this competition we've selected half a dozen acts who we think have real futures; the cool part is that our readers are going to pick the winner. I'm excited to see what happens."  

Garnier Fructis, a brand committed to celebrating self-expression and personal style, is the sponsor of "Women Who Rock" cover contest. Garnier Fructis' stylists will work with the acts during the competition to help them discover and establish individual styles both on- and off-stage. Garnier Fructis will also be instrumental in helping the acts become cover-ready.

"Music plays a central role in how Garnier Fructis connects with consumers to celebrate personal style," said Kat Peeler, Garnier Fructis Senior Vice President of Marketing. "Partnering with Rolling Stone on this contest that puts new, dynamic female voices front and center was a natural fit. Fructis is proud to bring great music from talented female musicians to new fans across the country, and to help one of these acts become a part of rock and roll history."

Rolling Stone editors selected the following six participants to compete in the "Women Who Rock" cover contest:  

• Delta Rae: Delta Rae hails from Durham, NC, and were recently signed to Warner Bros. Records by legendary A&R man Seymour Stein who is responsible for Madonna, Talking Heads and The Ramones. They are a six member band, with three siblings and four lead singers. The band's genre-bending sound is rooted in four-part harmonies. They've created their own Southern influenced version of Americana deep in passion, heart and soul. The band's debut album, Carry The Fire, was released June 19th.  
  www.deltarae.com 
• Dev: Dev is an LA-based pop artist with 119.7 million YouTube video views.  Her latest singles include the platinum plus, dance-pop hit "In the Dark," and the duet with international superstar, Enrique Iglesias, "Naked."  Her song "Booty Bounce" was sampled on the Far East Movement's multi-platinum, Billboard #1 single "Like a G6," in which she can be heard on the infamous chorus.  
  www.devishot.com
• Karmin: Karmin's "Brokenhearted" hit #1 on Billboard's Heatseeker's Chart and Top 20 on Billboard's Pop, Digital and Dance/ Club Play charts and hit the top ten at Top 40 Radio. Karmin took the internet by storm last year after posting a cover of Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" on YouTube. The clip instantly went viral and became one of YouTube's most viewed videos of 2011. The duo has since released their debut album Hello and racked up over a half of a billion views for their videos.  
  www.karminmusic.com
• Rita Ora: Ora is London's newest sensation, signed by JAY Z to Roc Nation/Columbia.  This fresh face has two # 1 singles in the UK, over 16 million YouTube video views and has been on tour this spring with Coldplay, Drake and DJ Fresh. 
  www.rocnation.com/ritaora
• Rye Rye: Baltimore's premier dance-rap spitfire released her debut album GO! POP! BANG! May 15th.  Dubbed 'the voice of Baltimore,' 21-year-old hip hop dynamo is no stranger to the limelight.  She was the first artist signed to M.I.A's label N.E.E.T.  Records and past collaborations have included hits with mentors M.I.A., Diplo and Blaqstarr. More recently she teamed with Scandinavian dance queen Robyn for the summer smash, "Never Will Be Mine" and Far East Movement on their fall track "Jello." Her new single "Boom Boom" is out now. 
  www.ryeryemusic.com
• Sleeper Agent: Sleeper Agent is a Kentucky-based alternative rock band who has received rave reviews and was hailed by numerous publications as a band-to-watch in 2011 and one of the top new acts at Coachella 2012.  
  www.sleeperagentmusic.com 

For more information on the "Women Who Rock" cover contest, please visit www.RollingStone.com/WomenWhoRock

About Rolling Stone 
Rolling Stone has been the leading voice of music and popular culture since its inception over 40 years ago. The magazine features the latest in music reviews, in-depth interviews, hard-hitting political commentary and award-winning investigative journalism. Rolling Stone provides all the news that fits to 12 million readers every two weeks.

About Garnier Fructis 
Garnier believes in beauty through nature. Scientifically developed with selected natural ingredients, our products help you look healthy and feel better every day. Established in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, Garnier is the #1 beauty brand in France and a trusted leader throughout Europe, Asia, Canada and Mexico. Dedicated to providing a new vision for health with high quality beauty products, Garnier also provides a wide range of hair care, skin care and sun care products throughout the world. The Garnier family of U.S. products consists of Garnier Fructis, Garnier Fructis Style, Garnier Nutrisse, Garnier HerbaShine and Garnier Skincare. For more information, visit www.garnierusa.com.

Contact: 
Emily Bender, DKC Public Relations  
212-981-5260 
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SOURCE Rolling Stone