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Want to play your own Tiny Desk concert? Enter the 2022 Tiny Desk Contest

By Bob Boilen
Published February 1, 2022 at 9:59 AM EST

The Tiny Desk Contest – NPR Music's annual nationwide search for the next great undiscovered artist to play a Tiny Desk concert – is back for its eighth year. We'll begin accepting entries next Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. ET.

We're thrilled to announce our panel of judges – the folks who will be selecting the 2022 Contest winner. I'll be joined by an incredible group of Tiny Desk alums: iLe, Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, Big K.R.I.T. and Raveena, who each know what it takes to perform behind my Tiny Desk. Bobby Carter — Tiny Desk producer and two-time Contest judge extraordinaire — will also be joining me. Bobby spoke to NPR's All Things Considered about this year's Contest; you can hear that in the audio player above. And I'm delighted that Nate Chinen, jazz expert and editorial director at NPR Member station WBGO in New Jersey, will be joining us, too. Our judges all have great ears for discovering new talents and sounds – and we can't wait to watch this year's entries.

Here's how the Contest works:

  • To enter, you'll need to record a video of you performing one original song (and make sure your video includes a desk!) and upload your video to YouTube.

  • You can submit your entry on the Contest website between Feb. 8 and March 14.

    •
  • To be eligible to win, you must be an unsigned musician and at least 18 years old.

  • If you win, you'll play your very own Tiny Desk concert at NPR's HQ and headline our Tiny Desk Contest On The Road Tour.

    • Before you enter, we suggest running through this quick eligibility quiz to be sure your entry is following all the rules. Or, if you're feeling ambitious, you can read through the official rules. The Contest will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, March 14.

    More big news: For the first time, the Contest will be open to artists in Puerto Rico! We're so excited to hear from new artists there. And, after a two-year hiatus, we're planning the return of our Tiny Desk Contest On The Road Tour. At each stop, a handful of standout entrants will perform, plus the 2022 winner. And as always, we'll feature a bunch of standout entries – not just the winner's – on NPR Music's social media, this blog, YouTube and more.

    We can't wait to see what you've got.

    Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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    Bob Boilen
    In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
    See stories by Bob Boilen

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