We have a winner!

Meet the artist who rose to the top [View this email online]( [NPR Tiny Desk Contest]( Picking one Tiny Desk Contest winner from your thousands of amazing entries wasn’t easy. But after spending time with some [early standout entries]( our [judges’ top picks]( and [tons of creative videos]( one entry rose to the top ... an entry that our judges said stopped them in their tracks and commanded their attention. Today, we’re proud to announce the winner of our 2021 Tiny Desk Contest: Neffy! Neffy is a singer from Arlington, Va., whose tender songwriting and exquisitely singular voice captured our judges’ ears from her entry’s opening lines. On “Wait Up,” Neffy’s winning song, she sings about slowing down and rooting herself in nature during a trying and tumultuous year. “I wrote what I needed to write for my soul,” [she told us](. “From the first line that Neffy sings, it's easy to get lost in her rich vocal timbre,” Contest judge Jewly Hight of WNXP says, noting the singer’s “understated dignity that draws a profound sense of melancholy right to the surface of each note.” Neffy’s no stranger to the Tiny Desk Contest, having also entered in [2018]( and [2020](. You might recognize her from [week two of Top Shelf]( where she talked with Contest judge Phoebe Bridgers and me. We noted that her recording is sparse — just Neffy and her acoustic guitar — and she explained that she learned to work with what she had during the pandemic. For me, that stripped-down nature is one of the things that makes performances behind my Desk so special. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- You can hear more from Neffy this afternoon on NPR’s All Things Considered. And this Friday, I’ll be talking with her live on NPR Music’s YouTube channel at 2 p.m. ET, where I hope you’ll join us and share your support in the live chat. We’ll be recording Neffy’s Tiny Desk (home) concert soon, and when it’s safe to do so, we can’t wait to welcome her to perform behind my Tiny Desk at NPR’s headquarters. [RSVP for Friday's live interview]( In another unpredictable year of the Contest, we’re so grateful to have this community of musicians. Thank you to Neffy for putting beautiful words to the way many of us have been feeling this year. And thank you to all of you for sharing your music and inspiring us. From our own tiny desks, Bob + NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest team --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [tinydeskcontest@npr.org](mailto:tinydeskcontest@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Interested in connecting with music-lovers and music-makers across the Contest community? Join our Tiny Desk Contest Community [Facebook Group]( Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on [Spotify]( and [Apple Music]( Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Books, Pop Culture and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Tiny Desk Contest emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]