Unsigned and undiscovered artists from the Kansas City area: KCUR wants to hear your music!
NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest is back for an incredible 10th year. You might be familiar with the Tiny Desk Concerts that bring big artists and indie musicians alike — including Olivia Rodrigo, Sampha, Smokey Robinson, Caroline Polachek and even the Broadway cast of "Sweeney Todd" — to the NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. for an intimate, one-of-a-kind performance.
Well, now is your chance to join their ranks.
Here's what you need to know:
- You must be 18 years of age or older and live in the U.S.
- You cannot have a current record deal.
- You must film a video of yourself performing one original song — no covers, no sampling.
- Yes, you do need to perform the song at a desk of some sort. (Full rules are here.)
- Upload your video to YouTube and then submit your entry to the Tiny Desk website.
- The contest is open now, and it runs until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2024.
Check to see if you are eligible here.
One winner will be chosen by NPR's panel of judges, which this year includes Tiny Desk producers Bobby Carter and Robin Hilton, music industry experts, NPR member station hosts, plus a handful of musicians like Julien Baker, MUNA, NEFFY and more.
You'd be joining some great company: Other past winners of the Tiny Desk Contest include Little Moon, the Grammy Award-nominated Tank and the Bangas, and multiple-Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito.
In addition to performing at the iconic Tiny Desk, the winner will also be featured on All Things Considered, headline NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour across the U.S., and perform in two summer music festivals. Pretty sweet!
That could be potentially career-changing — which is exactly why we want to see artists from Missouri and Kansas flooding the entries.
KCUR will also be looking out for great local performances, and some of our favorites will be featured o KCUR's Up To Date and KCUR.org.
What's stopping you? Enter the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest here.
