Updated Feb. 21 with St. Louis on the Air conversation about contest starting — Tiny Desk Contest is now live! Use this entry form to enter, and tag your entry with #TinyDeskSTL so we can share it here in the St. Louis area. Good luck, Tiny Desk musicians.
Calling all St. Louis musicians: The 2018 Tiny Desk Contest from NPR Music officially begins Feb. 20.
You may submit a video of you or your band playing an original song behind a desk — any desk — and you could win a chance to play your own Tiny Desk Concert at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., before embarking on a nationwide tour. The winner will also appear at a taping of NPR’s "Ask Me Another." Submissions are due March 25.
Last year’s contest drew more than 6,000 entries, including nearly 50 from the St. Louis Public Radio listening area. This year, we’re hoping for even more submissions from local artists.
Tiny Desk, St. Louis style
Why should NPR have all the fun? We want to celebrate the talented St. Louisans who submit to this year’s Tiny Desk Concert, so St. Louis Public Radio is running our own friendly competition to choose a local favorite from all entries submitted to NPR Music.
As St. Louis bands and solo acts submit videos to the contest, we’ll share them so you can vote on your favorite. (Check back later for how to vote.) We’ll highlight the five acts with the most votes on the St. Louis Public Radio website and on air.
One of our St. Louis favorites will play a show here on April 5. Last year, Bruiser Queen and Kenny DeShields played our Tiny Desk STL happy hour show at Anew Rooftop & Test Kitchen. We’ll pick this year’s headliners once the votes come in.
Follow #TinyDeskSTL for updates, the link to the voting page, news on the April 5 concert and more.
Things to know
Our quest to find a STL Tiny Desk favorite will follow NPR Music's rules. So if you've entered the Tiny Desk Contest before, please remember you must submit a new video to enter this year.
The Tiny Desk Contest judging panel will include NPR Music's Bob Boilen alongside Tiny Desk alumni Sylvan Esso, Gaby Moreno and Tarriona "Tank" Ball of Tank and the Bangas.
This fall, NPR Music will also host a series of master classes connected to the Tiny Desk Contest aimed at helping fans and entrants learn skills to help them succeed in the music industry.
Follow Lindsay on Twitter: @stlouislindsay
