Our search for the next great undiscovered artist to play a Tiny Desk concert.
Tiny Desk Contest entries., I never really thought about winning. I knew that there were literally thousands of other folks submitting their best material and I just wanted to be among them. Besides, I was even more excited to be releasing my debut album,, later that spring, even if I didn't expect anyone to listen to it outside of friends, family and a few early supporters I had on my musician Facebook page.
which was thrilling and really surprising. I had a lovely interview with host Scott Simon, and played a couple of original songs on the air. Afterward, Scott told me about something he called the"NPR bump," where a relatively unknown artist gets a barrage of new listeners after being featured on an NPR program. I thought this wouldn't apply to me. I was extremely incorrect in this assumption! After my interview with Scott, my album Unwind, went from, literally, No. 255,801 on Amazon's paid albums chart to No. 6, with a percentage bump of 3,603,685%. On iTunes, it went from anonymity to No. 1 on multiple charts. It even landed on theMost importantly, the royalty money I received from the"NPR bump" allowed me to buy my first custom guitar, which is still my main instrument. I was also featured on another great NPR video series calledlater that same year, which helped get my music in front of even more folks. None of this would have happened had I not entered into the Contest that year.series and got to chat with Brittany Howard on Zoom about how much she liked my entry. To me, that was basically as good as winning the Contest! Funnily enough, late last year, I opened for Brittany Howard and Michael Kiwanuka on an incredible month-long tour. I reminded her about the Top Shelf call and she said that she had been following me since then and that's how I got the tour slot. It's amazing how things come full circle when you least expect it! My Contest experiences have been absolutely life-changing. Even though I'm technically a two-time loser, I don't feel like I lost at all. So, if you get nothing else from reading this: Please understand that you only really lose if you don't try. Keep pushing, y'all! Stay true to yourself, don't lose your integrity and know that, even when something feels like a loss, it can reveal itself to be the thing that changes your life for the better.The 2025 Tiny Desk Contest is now open! The folks at NPR Music are thrilled to be back for another year, searching for the next great undiscovered artist to play a Tiny Desk concert. First, meet this year's judges — the folks who will be watching thousands of entries from independent artists across the country and eventually selecting a winner.. Each of these artists put on exceptional shows behind the Desk, and they're eager to find a new artist who will do the same.Record a video of you playing one original song behind a desk. Those who submit to the Contest join a growing community of passionate independent musicians from across the country. Many entrants will be featured by NPR Music in some way — whether it be on our YouTube channel as part of our Top Shelf series, our Instagram where we feature notably creative entries, on air whenAll Things ConsideredFinally, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the thousands of artists from the Los Angeles area who have joined the Contest community over the years, and who may have been affected by this month's fires. We understand the profound impact this disaster may be having on your capacity to create music at this time, and will keep you informed about the possibility of extending the Feb. 10 Contest deadline. For those who have the resources to help people in Los Angeles,Robin Hilton, has been a finalist for NPR's Tiny Desk Contest not once, but twice. The Seattle-based indie folk cellist and vocalist was first recognized for her"She was a second mother figure to me," Ollella says."She was my first music teacher." Ollella told NPR her aunt helped raise her and her sister after their parents' divorce."My aunt was a very creative person," she remembers."She had this wall in her house that she designated for my sister and I to paint on." They would sing opera at full volume and sit together at the piano bench, working through the keys. Her aunt died of cancer when Ollella was 11 years old."Tea Kettle Tea" tells of her memories from that time —Her aunt was a hand surgeon — she restored musicians' ability to play."She was incredibly smart," says Ollella. But as the cancer progressed, her mind started to wander."The title,"Tea Kettle Tea," comes from one ritual they had together. In quiet moments, Ollella's aunt would make them chamomile tea with milk and honey from a special tea kettle that she'd serve in special tea cups."At the time it was the fanciest thing I had ever touched," she laughs.Ollella sings and plays cello on the track. She started playing cello when she was 9 and played classical music through college. She tells NPR that"Tea Kettle Tea" poured out of her in what she describes as a"three-day songwriting trance, alternating between sobbing and feverish lyric writing." "I had just moved into an apartment for the first time on my own and had just finished unpacking all my belongings and had pulled out my cello," she remembers,"and this melody had come out of nowhere. It just kind of fell into my lap. And it ended up bringing me down this whole experience of writing this song and kind of grieving my aunt in a way that I hadn't ever before." It took about six months of practice before Ollella says she could make it through the whole song without crying. But now when she plays it, she feels catharsis, and she hopes that's what the song can be for others, too."I hope that this song helps people grieve in their own ways," she says. And often, someone will come up to her after a performance with tears in their eyes."That's what's cool about this is that I have learned how relatable this experience is. It's made me realize that people are grieving all the time." It feels like a gift, she says, to be able to share such an intimate moment with a stranger, all because of a piece of music.While each Tiny Desk concert is special in its own way, we only publish one annually from a Tiny Desk Contest— an up-and-coming multi-genre artist from Sacramento, Calif. — whose entry rose to the top of nearly 7,000 entries submitted by independent artists.In that entry, singer Christian Gates and his band proved they knew how to make a song shine behind a desk, performing in an office setting in business casual attire. They keep up the act at the Tiny Desk, with Gates cosplaying as the team's boss; he showcases his expressive stage presence and expansive musical range all while sitting in a swiveling office chair. The group kicks off its celebratory set with its winning song,"What's It All Mean?" Then, Gates shifts to the upright piano to perform"Drugs," a theatrical song he says"is for all of those who have thought about doing alternative things because the paycheck was not enough." He returns to the keyboard for"Chasing…" before flexing his rap abilities on"Colors." The Philharmonik closes with the catchy"Pay Me," a song I'm sure plenty of disgruntled workers will want to sing to their bosses after watching this concert., he stays humble throughout his set, continually crediting his team's hard work."This office is a group effort, and this is just another day at the office," he says.Nearly 7,000 independent artists entered this year's Tiny Desk Contest, NPR Music's annual search for the next great undiscovered artist. Earlier today,: a Sacramento producer, singer, rapper and multi-instrumentalist who performs as The Philharmonik. As he soaks in his big win and prepares to travel to NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C., to perform a Tiny Desk concert, songwriter Christian Gates joins Juana Summers to share the story behind his winning entry. One of the requirements when submitting to the Tiny Desk Contest is that each video must feature a desk. Gates says that desks usually make him feel as if he's deviating from his own path by working for someone else. Eventually, he decided he needed to work at hisIn a YouTube comment on his video, Gates shouts out the Sacramento community, which helped him see this vision through when he said he didn't have a single penny to his name.interview, sharing with Summers that he went through a dark and humbling time last year. While driving for Uber in order to make ends meet, he got into a bad car accident and could no longer work. "I was really scrounging up money for change, to even do shows," he says."I had these big visions for shows where I wanted nine people playing with me — but I couldn't afford it. And as the months went by it got progressively worse. And my other bills started to fall behind, too.""I said, hey, I think we could do good in this Contest if we execute this vision — but I really need your guys' help with this," Gates explains."And everybody, absolutely everybody, came through to help me with no hesitation.""I'm glad that I went through the struggle, because this win feels so honest to me, to what I believe in. It's a reflection of what I've worked for," he shares."So I'm eternally grateful for everything that I've gone through, good and bad." This summer, Gates and his eight-piece band will headline the 10-city Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour. You can get tickets to see The Philharmonik, plus other local Contest entrants, at"Go With The Ghost" by nobigdyl. ! The band, which is based in Murfreesboro, Tenn., is Dylan Phillips , Court Clement , EJ Ford , Anton Nesbitt and Derrek Phillips . This is their first year submitting to the Contest., Tiny Desk alum and judge Durand Bernarr selected"Go With The Ghost" as one of his favorite entries. Bernarr talked with Tiny Desk series producer and host Bobby Carter about"the groove" and"catchiness" of the entry, noting that even though Dylan Phillips doesn't move from his desk in the video,"I was captivated — and that's what I'm always looking for." Carter also complimented nobigdyl.'s lyrics."He's talking about the choice between giving yourself away to your vices or really making a change," Carter shared."He's really going deep." Here's what nobigdyl. has to share about the entry: I wrote"Go With The Ghost" from a place of surrender. Knowing that the life that I wanted to live would cost me the life I was living. There was a moment where I knew I had to give myself over to my vices or submit to the hard work of trusting God and thus, healing. This song is about that moment and the moments after. It's a song that I hope resonates with anyone on a journey of hearing and choosing God's voice.! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for when we announce this year's Contest winner: the artist, selected by the judges, who will play their own Tiny Desk concert and headline ourNPR Music received nearly 7,000 entries to this year's Tiny Desk Contest — our annual search for the next great undiscovered artist — and we'll reveal the winner very soon. But before we do, we're taking a moment to highlight the breadth of creative, talented unsigned artists who submit to this Contest. Over the past few weeks, contest judges — the NPR Music producers, Member station DJs, industry experts and Tiny Desk alums who select the winner — have been sharing their favorite entries in our "2024 has been our best year when it comes to the entries — the variety, the quality all around — this decision is gonna be so tough because everybody has just brought it this year," shared Tiny Desk series producer and host Bobby Carter in a recent episode. Now, we want to hear from you. For the first time ever, you can cast your vote for the Fan Favorite. Catch up on all the, and submit your vote below for your favorite of the 45 featured entries. The winner of the Fan Favorite vote will be announced on NPR Music's Instagram.Voting closes on Monday, May 6, at 11:59 p.m. ET. To learn more about the Contest, and to get tickets for this summer's Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, visit. As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have.NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest is back. As of this morning, artists can submit an entry for the opportunity to play their own Tiny Desk concert, go on tour with NPR Music — and more. This isn't just another regular year of the Contest — it's the 10th anniversary, and it's going all out. First, the panel of judges — the folks who will ultimately decide who the winner is — has doubled in size compared to previous years. Joining Tiny Desk producers. Each of these artists knows firsthand what it takes to perform an impressive set behind the Desk. The panel also has a crew of industry experts who are eager to see what this year's crop of up-and-coming musicians has to share — that's publicistbe paired with a mentor in the industry who will help them navigate their music journey. Our judges are determined to give this year's winner the support they'll need to take their music to the next level. And for the first time this year, the Contest is introducing a fan favorite vote. Later this spring, Contest judges will share their favorite entries as part of the annual Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf series on YouTube — and then artists and fans will be able to cast a vote for their favorite among those selections. And that tour we mentioned? The Contest is going bigger there, too. This year the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour will visit: Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Seattle; Petaluma, Calif.; Atlanta; Austin; Chicago; Brooklyn; New Orleans; and Philadelphia. In most of these cities, Contest artists local to the area will open the show. The winner will also be featured at two festivals this summer: Celebrate Brooklyn and, for the first time, the Millennium Park Summer Music series in Chicago.And a final reminder: Entry videos don't need to be fancy. The Tiny Desk is where artists go to strip down their big productions. Contest judges are looking for artists to submit something that's true to them and brand new to the Tiny Desk."I don't think it's caught up to me yet — how much my life has changed," says Emma Hardyman, singer of the 2023 Tiny Desk Contest-winning band. The Utah-based band recently wrapped up the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, headlining eight sold-out shows across the country. While on the road, Hardyman caught up with NPR to reflect on theHardyman tells NPR the song was written during the time her mother-in-law was in hospice care. The melody came to Hardyman as she and her husband Nathan Hardyman, who is also part of Little Moon, drove from Utah to Idaho to visit his mother. During this difficult time, Emma and Nathan Hardyman were also in the process of leaving the Mormon church in which they had grown up."And pretty quickly, just because of the circumstances, I realized that this song, this melody, was about death," says Emma Hardyman, who wrote the structure of the song before asking Nathan Hardyman to write the lyrics. The couple were also observing the disintegration of many of the building blocks their Mormon belief systems were built on."I've grieved past versions of myself throughout my whole life," Emma Hardyman shares. "I really love where Mormonism brought me," Emma Hardyman says."It introduced me to teachings that are supposed to love everybody, that are supposed to incorporate everybody. it couldn't follow me to how much I wanted to take seriously," she adds, noting that many of the Little Moon band members are queer. She says Mormonism didn't align with how she wants to treat people 'without conditions.' Emma Hardyman also shares that she had many self-doubts about herself as an artist when she and Nathan Hardyman met — but that he believed in her from their very first date. And in"Wonder Eye," the two even find peace in not having all the answers. Emma sings:"Is there a knowledge that is found not in knowing?" as she's met with the warm hums of the band. Nashville-based artist Crystal Rose displays a lot of emotion in her 2023 Tiny Desk Contest entry,"Mad Black Woman." It's one of the things about her performance that most impressed Tiny Desk Contest judge Sharon Van Etten, who featured Rose's entry in an"Being the only Black person in the spaces I grew up in was difficult," Rose shares."I noticed that I was different and it made me feel like I had to do more to be accepted ... I was always going to be noticed for anything I did.""There was a time when I was a very, very angry person," she says."They labeled me impulsive. Being angry all the time as a kid really got me in a lot of places I didn't want to be." But then, at age 13, she won a music competition and had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a local university — and music helped her find her power. "I think that was the moment I told myself 'this is cool — this is something I want to do,'" she says."Applause felt like validation." Rose says it was cathartic to perform"Mad Black Woman," which"tells the story of how many times people will perceive us to be smaller than we are — when in reality, we are all dynamic, complicated and quite extraordinary."that she appreciated being able to submit a video so that she could express herself."I didn't want to just sit down and sing the song — I really wanted to feel everything I was singing," she shares. "Keep your head up / Eyes front / Fall in line / Always play nice / Stay poised and loyal / Maybe I've grown tired of keeping it together," she sings in the entry."For me to be able to talk about my life experiences as a Black woman ... it feels powerful to me because there was a point in time where I couldn't say that I wanted to be angry," she says. Members of Kina Zore, a Boston-based band led by Helder Tsinine, play some pretty unusual instruments in their 2023 Tiny Desk Contest submission,"Covid 19." In addition to Tsinine on guitar and Galen Willett on bass, you see band members playing pots and pans, pouring water and employing jars of jam, pickles and even protein powder as drums. The band's unique approach to making its song is part of what made it stand out to this year's Contest judges across the country. You can get tickets for the tour at We're getting very close to announcing this year's Tiny Desk Contest winner. Ahead of the big reveal, Contest judge and Tiny Desk alumjoined series creator Bob Boilen on the fourth episode of Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf to share her favorite entries — and some advice for this year's winner. Van Etten's selections feature artists whose music both moved her to tears and filled her with joy. She applauded the entrants for owning their vulnerability and spoke to the healing power of songwriting. She also appreciated the stripped-down nature of these entries — which is what Tiny Desk is all about.On the latest episode of Top Shelf — a series on NPR Music's YouTube channel highlighting the best entries from the Tiny Desk Contest — Contest judges Sudan Archives and Baby Rose shared their top picks. Having both performed Tiny Desk concerts in early 2020, these Tiny Desk alums know exactly what it takes to make a performance shine. Their Top Shelf selections included artists with impressive musicality, direction and breath control — plus songs about mental health challenges and songs"entrants poured their souls into."Next week, singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten will share her favorite entries with Tiny Desk series creator Bob Boilen. You can set a reminder for the fourth episode of Top Shelf This year's Tiny Desk Contest judges will select a winner soon from the nearly 6,000 entries we received — but before they do, they're each sharing their favorites live on YouTube as part of our annual Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf series. In the second episode, Albina Cabrera – Latin American Content producer & host ofat NPR Member station KEXP – shared her top picks with Tiny Desk series producer Bobby Carter. Albina shared eight genre-defying entries that included artists singing in multiple languages and often about various forms of liberation, and applauded them for having the courage to enter the Contest."It's very hard for independent artists to put together a session, to apply and submit their music — it's a very complex process," Albina said. "I love Top Shelf so much because it's exposure," Bobby added."The difference between succeeding and no one hearing it is exposure. And this gets those artists that much closer to having aThere's a lot we could say about how vast, creative and talented the 2023 Tiny Desk Contest community is — but today, we thought we'd show you instead. With entries filmed in deserts and on mountains, in basements and bedrooms, alongside four-legged friends and more, this supercut video features many of the nearly 6,000 entries we received this year. It's soundtracked by standout artists. And to be among the first to know when we reveal this year's Contest winner – the lucky entrant who will get to play their own Tiny Desk concert and go on tour with NPR Music – subscribe to the
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