The 2017 Tiny Desk Contest is now open! Starting today, I'll be watching your videos in search of the next great undiscovered artist to play at the Tiny Desk. And I won't be doing it alone. Our team of judges includes these fantastic musicians:
- Anthony Hamilton
- Miguel
- BANKS
- Trey Anastasio of Phish
- Ben Hopkins of PWR BTTM
I'll also be joined by Rita Houston of WFUV, Stas THEE Boss of KEXP, Talia Schlanger of WXPN's World Cafe and Robin Hilton, my co-host on All Songs Considered. We're accepting entries until Jan. 29, and we can't wait to hear what you're making.
To enter, you'll need to:
- Film a video of you (or your band) performing an original song at a desk (any desk!).
- Put that video on YouTube.
- Submit it through our entry form by 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 29.
To make sure you're eligible, you can take this quiz (or check out our Official Rules for all the details). If you win, you'll get to play a Tiny Desk concert at NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Plus, you'll get to come on a nationwide tour with NPR Music and Lagunitas Brewing Company.
Above all, this contest is about two things: music and community. Whether you build an elaborate, creative setup for your entry or shoot something simple on a smartphone (like last year's winner), we're listening for your music above all else.
The past two Contests have not only brought into our lives undiscovered musicians we cherish — they've also shown us what local music scenes across the country are made of. Already, we've been digging through the great behind-the-scenes pictures and videos you're posting of your entries. (Feel free to email us your behind-the-scenes shots and stories or put them on social media with the #TinyDeskContest hashtag.)
You can follow along as we fall in love with new artists and songs: We'll be sharing it all with the Tiny Desk Contest community in our weekly newsletter and on our frequently updated Tumblr. And even if you don't plan to send in a video, we hope the Tiny Desk Contest helps you discover new music and makes you proud of the musical community right in your backyard, wherever that is.
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