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Jan 30, 2023 By Dom Gourlay Web Exclusive

Glastonbury Festival’s prestigious Emerging Talent Competition 2023 goes live from today (Monday 30th January).

The competition gives 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 in June.

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

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

Applicants have until 5pm Uk time on Monday 6th February to enter, using the form on the Official Glastonbury Festival website’s Emerging Talent page HERE.

Once the entries are in, a panel of thirty UK music writers (including Under the Radar’s Festivals & Live Reviews Editor Dom Gourlay) will help compile a longlist of ninety acts. The longlist will then be narrowed down to a shortlist of eight artists by judges including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, before the live finals in Pilton decide the winning act.

Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said: “Showcasing new music is a hugely important part of what we do at Glastonbury, and the Emerging Talent Competition has helped us to discover so many incredible artists over the years. It’s amazing to be able to offer this platform to some of the brightest talent out there, and I can’t wait to hear this year’s entries!”

Last year’s winner was Scottish singer/songwriter Lewis McLaughlin while previous winners have included She Drew The Gun, Declan McKenna, Flohio, and The Subways who won the inaugural Emerging Talent competition back in 2004.