JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Today is a big day in the NPR Music world. It is the launch of the 2026 Tiny Desk Contest, the series' annual search for the next great undiscovered artist.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BOXES AND SQUARES")
TANK AND THE BANGAS: (Vocalizing).
SUMMERS: That's Tank and the Bangas, who we certainly cannot describe as undiscovered anymore. That band won the contest back in 2017 and went on to win a Grammy last year. The Tiny Desk Contest helped put them on the map, as well as 11 other artists. Tiny Desk series host and producer Bobby Carter is here with more now as the journey to find the 12th contest winner begins. Hello.
BOBBY CARTER, BYLINE: Hey now, Juana.
SUMMERS: Hey. All right, Bobby, you were also a judge of this contest to find unsigned musicians. So just start by reminding us - how does the contest work? Like, if an independent artist who deserves the spotlight is listening now, what would you tell them?
CARTER: I would tell them to hit record right now, play a song - an original song behind a desk and give us all you got because this thing could change your life.
SUMMERS: I think that was certainly the case for last year's winner, Ruby Ibarra. I got to talk to her, actually. She was incredible.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
RUBY IBARRA: This is a labor of love for all of us, and it really is a dream come true as an independent artist.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BAKUNAWA")
IBARRA: (Rapping in non-English language).
CARTER: Oh.
SUMMERS: I mean, her music's incredible.
CARTER: She set a new bar for the contest, that Ruby.
SUMMERS: So, like, let's just get into the nuts and bolts here, Bobby. What exactly do these unsigned artists need to do, and when do they need to do it by?
CARTER: They need - like I said, they need to record themselves playing an original song by February 9, OK? Don't wait until the last minute. Get it in now, assemble the troops and start recording because we are watching.
SUMMERS: Bobby, what happens if you win?
CARTER: Yes. Well, first and foremost, you fly to Washington, D.C. We fly you to Washington, D.C., to play the real Tiny Desk. We also take them on a 10-city tour around the country, and we will also pair them with a mentor in the industry. But if you don't win, you join a community of independent musicians with a shared goal, and we've seen a lot of magic happen within that. We at NPR Music, we feature a ton of different entries online, and you may join us on the tour this summer.
SUMMERS: That's incredible. Bobby, who else is judging along with you?
CARTER: Oh, yeah. We have some former Tiny Desk players. We have rapper Tierra Whack, singer-songwriters Waxahatchee and Madison McFerrin.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AIN'T IT NICE")
MADISON MCFERRIN: (Singing) So what's it like, tell me, baby, on the other side.
CARTER: We also have some friends and DJs from NPR member stations like KUTX, WNXP, plus some of our Tiny Desk producers right here.
SUMMERS: All right, so in service of any of those unsigned artists that might be listening right now, I do have to ask you, Bobby, what are you guys looking for when it comes to entries?
CARTER: Like I say every year, we're looking for something that we haven't seen before, that we haven't heard before. What makes you special? Is it the voice? Is it the presentation? Is it your personality? We need to feel emotion. I just want to see and hear something that we never heard before. And listen, I'm excited about this challenge this year because Ruby set such a bar, and it really assembled community in a way that we haven't seen before at the desk. So just show us exactly who you are.
SUMMERS: That's Bobby Carter, host and series producer for the Tiny Desk and a judge for this year's Tiny Desk Contest. Independent artists can now submit for their opportunity to play the Tiny Desk at npr.org/tinydeskcontest. Bobby, thanks.
CARTER: Peace, Juana. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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