MUMBAI: Sennheiser, the 70 year old German audio brand, recently concluded its ‘Sennheiser Top 50’ contest and announced the winners of the same. The contest witnessed more than 200 entries with different genres including pop, rock, fusion, classic, metal, jazz and blues. The panel, headed by composers- Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Salim Sulaiman, picked The Local Train, Shadow and Light and Purple Fusion as the top three winners of the contest.

Sennheiser, director, Vipin Pungalia, said, “Getting to the final stage after three months beginning with 218 bands and now the final 50, has been a very enthralling and an eventful journey. 

Immense talent and at par entries made it really difficult for us to list down the top 50 bands. The fact that we have received participation from several tier two and three cities like Dehradun and Jharkand is a testament that Sennheiser has been able to provide the young music lovers an apt platform to showcase their talent. The amazing jury comprising of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Salim Sulaiman helped us in finding our Top50 bands. We would like to congratulate the winners and welcome the bands to be a part of the Sennheiser family. We are also gearing up for a second season of Sennheiser Top50 with lot more surprises in store.”

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, said, “The journey has been enriching with a lot to learn from these young and emerging musicians with their own personal renditions of popular tracks and amazing original compositions. What’s really exciting is the passion with which these bands have performed. They have brought in a breath of fresh air to these different genres of music which made it almost impossible for us to rank them. We are happy to be a part of this endeavour to find emerging and budding bands across India and wish them luck for their future ventures.”

Music composer duo, Salim Sulaiman said, “A musical journey is an endless and exciting one which knows no boundaries. Sennheiser Top50 has proved this with participation from regions across India. It was overwhelming to encounter music with snippets that radiated the culture of the regions that these bands belonged to and at the same time putting us in a difficult spot to rank the top50. This unique initiative by Sennheiser has given a huge platform to several talented performers and urging several others to bring their music alive on a larger scale.”

Commenting on their win, Delhi rock band- The Local Train said, “Sennheiser isn't just a brand, it's a phenomenon in the music industry! To have such a prestigious name adjudge us as the top act in a nationwide hunt is the kind of push every artist dreams of! Being an independent DIY band with no labels backing us, the fact that we've been noticed by Sennheiser gives us the affirmation that we need. To have the likes of Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Salim Sulaiman appreciate our music is an opportunity we never thought we'd have any time soon. Some of the top artists in the world are connected to the Sennheiser family. We can only imagine the body of knowledge we'll have access to and with the right exposure we see so much of learning and growth in store for us in the coming years.”

The Local Train walked away with a two year endorsement deal with Sennheiser, whilst first runner up- Shadow and Light have bagged a recording session with Ashish Manchanda. Second runners up, Purple Fusion, will get a chance to be mentored by Sennheiser artists Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy or Salim Sulaiman. 

The other top 50 bands have won a limited edition of the Sennheiser e835 microphone trophy.

Sennheiser Top50 Winners