And just like that, the Contest is back and in full swing. Over here at NPR Music, watching entries is an annual highlight for the Contest team, especially when the first entry comes in. This year, third time entrant Ra Lé Bu, hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., was the first in line with the bluesy guitar-forward “Sparks Fly,” a song about the life of African American railroad worker John Henry.
Top row: The Hornworms with Hugh DeNeal and 5-Foot Betty; bottom row: Canvas Rose and The Soapbox Salute
It’s been one week since we’ve started receiving entries and the videos are flooding in. If you’re new here (welcome!), each week, while we’re hard at work watching each and every one of your entries, we’ll highlight a few that caught our attention. Our current count is just over 300, but that number will grow to the thousands as we inch toward the close of the Contest. We recommend entering early; that way, we can feature you here early on.
Despite being a few weeks into January, The Hornworms with Hugh DeNeal are still in the holiday spirit with its song “Christmas Possum.”
Fellow “public radio nerds” MaRS on Saturday sway to an aptly named celestial groove “Signal Waltz.”
Canvas Rose serenades us with layered vocals while the sea crashes behind them in “murmuration.”
And we are graced by the presence of two magical creatures in Mermaid & The Crashers’ “Like Mind” and 5-Foot Betty’s “Fairy Godmother Man.”
You can watch all these entries and more by searching the entry browser on the Contest website.
The 2026 Tiny Desk Contest is presented by Capital One and supported by Rivian.
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Just like there are real (non-AI) people with unique intentions behind each of your entry videos, there are real people who review every entry as they come in. As judge and Tiny Desk host Bobby Carter says, as soon as you enter, you “join a community of independent musicians with a shared goal, and we see a lot of magic happen there.” We’re happy to have you in our community.
If you still have a question about whether or not your entry is eligible to win, check out our eligibility quiz, FAQ or send us an email, we’re happy to help.
We can’t wait to see what you create!
From the Desk,
NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest team
P.S. Did you know that NPR’s Tiny Desk was nominated for an NAACP image award? Vote for us here.
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