JUDAS PRIEST's ROB HALFORD To Perform With BABYMETAL At 'Alternative Press Music Awards'

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford will join the Japanese teenage girl pop metal band BABYMETAL for their performance at the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards, set to take place the evening of July 18 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

"Honestly, I am still at a loss of what to feel," says BABYMETAL's Su-Metal. "But to be able to perform together with the Metal God, I am in disbelief."

Halford adds: "It's really cool to hear and watch such a strong young Japanese metal band make solid growth in the world with such unique conviction and invite me to headbang along with them for this special appearance. Further proof of the continuing power exchange from the roots of metal into the future metalsphere!"

It is not presently known what role Halford will have in the performance.

Halford posed for a photograph with BABYMETAL backstage at the Rock On The Range festival in 2015.

BABYMETAL has taken the world by storm with its infectious brand of pop metal. This year, the band is nominated in the "Best International Band" category. The APMAs will mark BABYMETAL's first U.S. award show, as well as their only show confirmed in Ohio for 2016.

Su-Metal states: "I am extremely thrilled that BABYMETAL is nominated among a great list of other bands for 'Best International Band'. I am above ecstatic seeing how we have been able to connect with our fans from across the globe through our music, surpassing language barriers and just making it to far places all over the world on our tours. I just hope that we, BABYMETAL, will be able to continue to bring our music to more people worldwide, here on out."

Each Alternative Press Music Awards show has featured some of the greatest artists in modern music, ranging from today's biggest rock stars such as FALL OUT BOY, PARAMORE, PANIC! AT THE DISCO and WEEZER, to musical legends such as AEROSMITH's Joe Perry, Slash, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, SMASHING PUMPKINS and Ice-T.

Last year's event — which took place July 22, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland — was a massive victory for the music community, garnering unprecedented support demonstrated by a staggering 15.7 billion total media impressions (over seven times the impressions of the 2014 show). Last year's event also earned the title of "The Grammys of Alternative Music" by Time magazine. The 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards achieved over 1 million views on AXS TV, and over 3 million views on YouTube.