This year’s Tiny Desk Contest winner is Little Moon, a band from Springville, Utah whose majestic and unique sound captured the attention of the judges and earned them first place in the competition.
NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest is a yearly competition that highlights undiscovered artists who have yet to play at a Tiny Desk Concert held at the NPR offices. Little Moon’s victory in the competition was due to their profoundly emotional song, “Wonder Eye”, featuring singer Emma Hardyman’s soaring and beautiful vocals and the band’s captivating sound.
The band consists of Emma & Nathan Hardyman, keyboardist Bly Wallentine, harpist Bridget Jackson, drummer Chris Shemwell, and guitarist Grace Johnson. The song was written during an emotional time for Emma Hardyman, during which her mother-in-law was sick and placed in hospice care.
Other entries into the contest consisted of Jesus Gonzalez’s dreamy song, “Forever”, featuring a beautiful trio of vocals, harp, and violin.
The eclectic Los Malcriados performed their tune, “La Malcriada” with energetic solos from their horn band and their percussion and guitar players.
Another highlight was Lizbeth Román’s terrific anthem, “Agua que vuelve”, featuring lush keyboards, focused percussion, and Román’s dynamic vocal performance.
This summer, contest winners Little Moon will headline the yearly Tiny Desk On the Road tour. Tickets for the tour can be purchased at NPRPresents.org.
Originally posted on June 15, 2023