NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest accepts two Jackson entries, eight from Wyoming

JACKSON, Wyo. — In 2014, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest for indie musicians was born out of the popular Tiny Desk Concerts of All Songs Considered, the latter geared towards well-known acts. The video submission Contest offers songwriters the opportunity to compete for a trip to perform live at NPR’s headquarters in Washington, DC and have that performance produced and distributed as part of NPR’s Tiny Desk series.

Songs are required to be original, performed near a desk, and filmed specifically for the Contest. A jury of NPR staff along with musicians such as Trey Anastasio of Phish, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and Jess Wolfe of Lucius have chosen winners in the past. This year’s judges include Brittany Howard of The Alabama Shakes and Latin pop songwriter Gina Chavez.

The 2020 Tiny Desk Contest closed for entries on April 27, and eight entries have been accepted from Wyoming including two from Jackson—Aspen Dawn and Aaron Davis. Each year draws more than 6,000 submissions. A grand prize winner will be announced this week. Due to the pandemic, the typical On the Road tour of select entrants will instead be replaced by a new virtual series and a listening party.

Aspen Dawn