Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition 2016

Glastonbury has today announced details of its Emerging Talent Competition for 2016, which will give new UK and Ireland-based acts of any musical genre the chance to compete for a slot on one of the main stages at this year’s Festival. I will be a judge on the panel for the third year running, after my chosen act last year came in 3rd place and were the official song for WaterAid across the weekend.

The winners of the free-to-enter competition will also be awarded a £5,000 Talent Development prize from PRS for Music Foundation to help take their songwriting and performing to the next level. Two runners-up will also each be awarded a £2,500 PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development prize.

 Acts from any musical genre can enter the 2016 competition FOR ONE WEEK ONLY from 9am Monday 18th January until 5pm Monday 25th January 2016 via glastonburyfestivals.co.uk.

 Recent Emerging Talent Competition entrants include hotly-tipped R&B singer Izzy Bizu (a 2016 BRITs Critics’ Choice and BBC Sound Of 2016 nominee) and fast-rising young rapper Isaiah Dreads. Last year’s winner was singer-songwriter Declan McKenna, who has since signed a management deal with Q Prime, who also manage Metallica, Muse and Foals.

 To enter, acts will need to supply a link to one original song on SoundCloud, plus a link to a video of themselves performing live (even if it’s only recorded in a bedroom).

 Once the entries are in, a panel of 40 of the UK’s top music writers will help compile a longlist of 120 acts. The longlist will then be whittled down to a shortlist of 8 artists by judges including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, before the live finals at Pilton Working Men’s Club in April decide the winning act