The company’s quest to find an opener for singer has been caught in the wave of controversy over Macklemore’s exit from The Loop Tour<\/p>\n
\n\tGuitar Center has been caught in the growing fallout surrounding Macklemore\u2019s removal<\/a> from Ed Sheeran<\/a>\u2018s tour following the Seattle rapper\u2019s statements onstage in support of Palestinians amid Israel\u2019s war in Gaza.<\/p>\n \n\tThe company\u2019s \u201cOpen for Legends\u201d contest launched on Monday, Sept. 14 \u2014 which happened to be the same day Macklemore<\/a> was removed from The Loop Tour. The competition is open to anyone over 18 with a valid U.S. passport and experience performing in front of a live audience. Per the website, it\u2019s a \u201cbrand-new competition series elevating undiscovered musicians to a global platform\u201d with the opportunity to open for Sheeran on his stop in Mexico City on Dec. 11.<\/p>\n \n\tContest organizers will have their hands full, however. Entertainment Weekly<\/a> previously reported that the current iteration of the contest\u2019s website has no way of confirming whether or not a video contains a musician who genuinely wants to compete \u2014 many of the videos uploaded have reportedly been memes and non-musical videos showing support for Palestine and criticism for Sheeran.<\/p>\n \n\tOn Thursday, Guitar Center addressed the debacle in a statement to Rolling Stone and said the \u201cOpen for Legends\u2019 competition series was developed months prior to the controversy<\/a>. \u201cAs with any open submission process, we received entries that were not legitimate applications to participate in the program,\u201d said the company. \u201cThose submissions will not be considered so that the opportunity can remain focused on musicians who are seeking to showcase their talent. We\u2019re continuing to review and manage the program in accordance with its intended purpose and look forward to recognizing and supporting talented musicians through the initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n