Since its beginning, the Contest has been about more than one winner — it’s a celebration of the independent music community.
EVENTS
Tiny Desk Contest
Since 2015, the Tiny Desk Contest – inspired by its namesake The Tiny Desk concert series – has launched undiscovered, unsigned artists to the world. NPR’s annual search for the next great unsigned artist has discovered distinct voices like Fantastic Negrito and Tank and the Bangas, who are now Grammy-winning artists; Quinn Christopherson, Little Moon and more.
With a multi-city tour and extensions on air and online, Tiny Desk Contest offers sponsors a unique opportunity to align their brand with the iconic Tiny Desk franchise.
Image by Lizzie Chen
The Tiny Desk Contest Reach
65K+
Unique contest entries from musicians¹
36M+
Contest video views²
34K
Tiny Desk Contest On the Road event attendees¹
Source: 1. Tiny Desk Contest & Tour Data through 2025; 2. YouTube, NPR.org, Facebook, Instagram.
2025 Tiny Desk Contest Winner: Ruby Ibarra
Proud Sponsors of Past and Present Tiny Desk Contests
"...there is no greater endorsement than to be presented to the public by NPR Music."
Wall Street Journal
"Since winning the inaugural contest in early 2015, blues singer Fantastic Negrito [aka Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz] has won two Grammys for best contemporary blues album."
Billboard
“[Quinn Christopherson] had us floored, and me in tears. His is the voice we need right now. He is why we show up for each other. He is why we listen.”
The Tucson Sentinel
"2017 winners Tank and the Bangas released their major-label debut, Green Balloon, earlier this year on Universal Music Group’s Verve Forecast label and [in 2019] scored a coveted Grammy best new artist nomination."
Billboard
"Tiny Desk celebrates skill. One look at New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas’ career-making star-turn on Tiny Desk is proof. The popular performance, which came after the band won the third “Tiny Desk Contest” in 2017, helped land them a label deal and, not long after, a best new artist Grammy nod."
LA Times
