It’s the time of year when independent musicians nationwide drag out their makeshift desks, hit record on their cameras and showcase their talent — all in hopes of joining the coveted canon of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest winners.
Tiny Desk started out as a humble live concert series in the offices of NPR and exploded in popularity over recent years. Many of the series' videos have racked up millions of views and drawn industry music stars and genre legends, including Adele, Bad Bunny, Chaka Khan, John Prine and BTS.
NPR Music later launched The Tiny Desk Contest, which enters its 12th year, to celebrate independent music by amplifying the work of unsigned artists. Musicians of all genres can submit an entry, with the winner getting their own Tiny Desk concert.
Contestants will be judged by a panel of NPR Music staff, music journalists, industry leaders and Tiny Desk alums, to help search for undiscovered talent.
READ MORE: From folk to funk: A sample of the South Florida talent competing in NPR's Tiny Desk Contest
Past Tiny Desk winners include: Ruby Ibarra, a Filipina rapper from the Bay Area who switches between English, Tagalog and Bisayan; Little Moon, a Utah band with multi-octave vocals and baroque arrangements; and Alisa Amador a bilingual singer/songwriter whose widespread influences span Puerto Rico to Mexico to Argentina to Massachusetts.
That’s the magic of the Tiny Desk. Whether an artist is well-established or up-and-coming, there’s plenty of room at the table.
As South Florida’s member station, we’re taking a page from the mothership by shining a light on our homegrown talent. This year’s batch of contestants display impressive musicality — many including a diverse array of live instrumental accompaniments.
Take a deep dive into some of the artists we love from this year’s contest.
Broward County
Miami-Dade County
Palm Beach County
With production help: Helen Acevedo, Sherrilyn Cabrera, Natu Tweh and Valentina Sandoval.
