Favored Nations Entertainment

American record label founded in 1999 by guitarist Steve Vai and former Guitar Center owner Ray Scherr, based in Encino, CA. The first studio album released by the label was Coming to Your Senses by guitarist Frank Gambale in 2000. Soon afterwards, a variety of artists such as Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Johnny A., Larry Carlton, Eric Sardinas, and Steve Lukather, Neal Schon, Johnny Hiland, Stanley Jordan and Novecento, Allan Holdsworth, John Petrucci, Marty Friedman, The Yardbirds, Dave Weiner and Peppino D'Agostino had also signed to Favored Nations. Favored Nations Entertainment was followed by separate branches called Favored Nations Acoustic in 2002 and Favored Nations Cool in 2004.