And the winner is...

Find out which entry rose to the top [View this email online]( [NPR Tiny Desk Contest]( To be honest, choosing one Tiny Desk Contest winner from all the incredible entries we receive each year never gets any easier – though the process is always pretty exciting. Now, after sifting through your [thousands of videos]( and finding tons of [entries we love]( (plus [some spectacular desks]( from artists across the country – we have some big news. Today we’re thrilled to announce the winner of the 2022 Tiny Desk Contest: Alisa Amador! Alisa is a singer-songwriter from Boston with a powerful voice whose tender performance commands attention and fosters connection. Each of our Contest judges (Bob Boilen, Bobby Carter, Raveena, Big K.R.I.T., Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner and Nate Chinen) fell in love with Alisa’s winning entry, “Milonga accidental.” “Her performance – marked by a soaring vocal improv and imbued with Spanish inflection and a crystalline sense of purpose – captivates from start to finish,” says Nate. You can read what all the judges had to say about Alisa on the [Contest website](. This was Alisa’s fifth year entering the Contest (see her entries from [2018]( [2019]( [2020]( and [2021]( but her first time submitting a song completely in Spanish. Alisa’s family is from Puerto Rico, New Mexico and Argentina, and she told us her winning song is “an ode to in-between-ness, to having several identities at once, to feeling split between cultures and languages.” “Cuando sabré descifrar mi razón? / Cuando sentiré mi hogar en mi voz?” (“When will I know how to decipher my purpose? / When will I feel at home in my voice?”), she sings in her entry. She says she wrote the song as a way to make a home for herself and “for anyone who has felt out of place or like they don’t fit neatly under one label.” Maybe you can find a home in it, too. You can hear more from Alisa herself this afternoon on All Things Considered. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- We’re also excited to share that after a two-year hiatus, our Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour is back! While we’ve loved getting to know so many of you virtually in [2020]( and [2021]( we’ve missed gathering with you and hearing your music in real life. Later this month, after Alisa plays her Tiny Desk concert at NPR’s headquarters, we’re hitting the road. We’ll kick things off in Washington, D.C., make our way over to the West Coast, then wrap up our tour in New York. At each stop, our lineup will include Alisa and her band, plus other local artists who entered the Contest this year. The whole tour is a victory lap of sorts, celebrating our winner and the spirit of the entire Contest community. You can learn more about each stop and get tickets now at [NPRPresents.org](. - [May 24 in Washington, D.C.]( with Outerloop, Everyday Everybody and 2021 Contest winner NEFFY - [June 7 in Atlanta]( with O’She Tyght, Yah Yah and Alto Moon - [June 12 in Seattle]( with Ollella, Halley Greg and Helmer Noel - [June 14 in Los Angeles]( with Jack Rabbit, Yosmel Montejo and Pocket Queen & The Royal Flush - [June 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y.,]( with Seratones, 2020 Contest winner Linda Diaz and 2015 Contest winner Fantastic Negrito [Celebrate with us]( Thank you once again to everyone who’s contributed to [the Contest community this year](. We’re grateful for each and every one of you. We hope you’ll join us in congratulating Alisa – and we hope to [see you on the road]( From the Desk, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest team --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [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]