It's coming January 13th! It's time to start working on your songs, your videos, and of course, getting a desk to put in that video! The Tiny Desk Contest, NPR’s annual search to find the next great undiscovered artist for the Tiny Desk concert, opens its entry window in January! Since its inception in 2014, the Contest has brought together thousands of artists and groups across music genres and hometowns. The concept is simple: unsigned bands and musicians are invited to film themselves performing an original song at a desk of their choice. A panel of judges made up of NPR Music staff, music journalists, industry leaders, and Tiny Desk alums will choose one grand prize winner. In addition to playing an NPR Tiny Desk concert, the winner headlines a U.S. tour featuring other standout musicians from the Contest community. By announcing the date in advance, artists will have more time to prepare their submissions.
Contest winners have gone on to sign with major labels, open for legendary performers, and even receive Grammy awards.
Ultimately, the Contest is about so much more than our winner. It’s a celebration of the independent music community. We feature some of our favorite entrants on the radio, on NPR Music’s website, on social media, and in special programming like our Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf series on YouTube. Over time, we’ve received more than 40,000 entries from talented and creative musicians across all 50 states in the U.S., DC, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. And The Route will have some of the entrants in on our air! Watch this space for more details or check out the TIny Desk website!
The Tiny Desk Contest is coming back for its 12th year! The Contest will be open for entries from Jan. 13 at 10 AM ET through Feb. 9 at 11:50 PM ET.
