CANNES: Wayne Brothers Entertainment has announced the completion of the successful pilot season for American Supergroup - the original music competition series creating the next big super band. Exec Producers and co-creators of American Supergroup, Gary Wayne Bridges and Kevin Wayne Waldrop, produced five episodes to develop the format and prove the concept. The program aired on Pop, MTV Live and MTV Classic in 4Q16.

Five bands were formed and are currently in discussion with record labels for representation. American Supergroup is present at MIPTV, seeking international distribution and production partners and is a sponsor, for the 2nd year, of the International Format Awards Gala.

Judges for the pilot season included award-winning, multi-platinum musicians, all singer/songwriters: pop/soul artist Aloe Blacc, rock/blues artist Elle King, country superstar Jennifer Nettles and classic rock icon Jason Scheff, lead singer/bass player for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Chicago. iHeartMedia 104.3MYFM’s Dave Styles was the show’s host. Mentors for the bands were legendary guitarist, James Burton, soul singer Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and Tantrums, singer/songwriter Ed Roland of Soul Collective and song writers Jeffrey Steele and Marti Frederiksen; along with Grammy/Emmy/Dove award-winning producer, Shannon Sanders

American Supergroup is a music competition program and format showcasing the creation and evolution of the best new band in the country. Guided by a panel of music experts, 25 finalists are selected to form 5 groups of 5 members each -- best guitarist, best drummer, best bass player, best keyboards, and best vocalist. Musical genres can be, but are not limited to, Pop, Rock, R&B, Country, Hard-Rock, and Alternative. Audiences interact with, and vote for, bands via social media platforms.

“American Supergroup has been in development for several years and we are very pleased with our pilot season which brought the concept to life. A short season was produced to prove the format’s viability, which we’ve now done. We are thankful to Pop and Viacom for their support of the program and we were blown away by the amazing talent we discovered in just a short time,” said Bridges.

Waldrop added, “We are also pleased that American Supergroup is sponsoring the International Format Awards at MIPTV in Cannes for another year, demonstrating our support for the Format industry. We are at MIPTV looking for the best global distribution and production partners. Season 2 is now in development and will air in Fall 2017, with a broadcaster to be confirmed in the coming weeks.”