NPR Tiny Desk Contest

Do you have what it takes to perform at the Tiny Desk? NPR Music wants to hear from you! 

The Tiny Desk Contest is back for its eighth year, welcoming submissions from artists in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands — and, for the first time in Contest history, Puerto Rico.

"The amount of creativity around this contest is extraordinary," said Bob Boilen, creator of the Tiny Desk series. "Thousands of entries from all over the country and it's not only a thrill to watch these entries, but it's fun to make one too. So do it!"

Since the debut of the Tiny Desk Contest in 2015, thousands of musicians have created their own videos in hopes of being chosen to perform as part of NPR Music's signature music discovery series. NPR is once again calling for unsigned musicians to submit their entries at NPR.org/tinydeskcontest, starting on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. ET and closing on Monday, March 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

This year's panel of judges includes four Tiny Desk alums: Puerto Rican singer-songwriter iLe, rapper Big K.R.I.T, musician Michelle Zauner of the band Japanese Breakfast, and singer-songwriter Raveena. They will be joined by Nate Chinen from NPR Member station WBGO, plus Tiny Desk series creator Bob Boilen and Tiny Desk producer Bobby Carter.

In addition to playing their very own Tiny Desk concert, the 2022 Contest winner will appear on NPR's All Things Considered and headline the five-stop Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour. And before this year's winner is announced, NPR Music will host more episodes of Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf, a live-streamed video series where contest judges share some of their favorite entries on NPR Music's YouTube channel.

To enter the Contest, unsigned musicians must play one original song at a desk, upload a video of the performance to YouTube and submit a completed entry form at NPR.org/tinydeskcontest. NPR Music welcomes music from all genres and entrants from previous years with new material. Artists must be at least 18 years old and live in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico to enter. Though there can only be one grand prize winner each year, many other artists who submit are chosen to be featured on the All Songs Considered blog, on NPR Music's YouTube channel, on NPR's broadcast news magazines or in the Tiny Desk Contest newsletter. Please see the complete rules for entry.