2023 Emerging Talent Competition

24th January 2023

We’re very pleased to announce details of our 2023 EMERGING TALENT COMPETITION, which is once again supported by PRS for Music and PRS Foundation.

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.

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.

Acts from any musical genre could enter the 2023 competition FOR ONE WEEK ONLY from 9am Monday 30th January until 5pm Monday 6th February 2023.

To enter, acts needed to supply a YouTube link to one original song, plus a link to a video of themselves performing live.


Once the entries are in, a panel of 30 of the UK’s best music writers will help compile a longlist of 90 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!”

Michelle Escoffery, President of the PRS Members’ Council, said: “We are excited to be collaborating once again with Glastonbury Festival and PRS Foundation. I encourage artists and bands of any genre to submit an original song to the Emerging Talent Competition for a chance to perform at the Festival. This is a huge opportunity for music creators to reach new audiences and boost their music career to the next level.”

Joe Frankland, CEO, PRS Foundation said: “Each year the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition unearths a huge array of exciting up and coming artists and is a fantastic career opportunity for the winners to perform at the legendary Glastonbury Festival as well as receive our vital funding support to develop their talents. It has been great to see the impact and the progress for competition finalists through the years, with many signing recording deals, touring nationally and international or securing syncs. We’re delighted to be continuing to partner with Glastonbury Festival and PRS for Music on this brilliant opportunity and looking forward to see which talented artists apply this year.”

The winner of the 2022 competition was the wonderful young Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis McLaughlin, who has since seen his star continue to rise with a series of acclaimed TV, radio and live performances.

Our 2022 Emerging Talent Competition winner, Lewis McLaughlin

Other recent Emerging Talent Competition finalists include 2020 lockdown winner R.A.E who finally got her prize-winning slot at Glastonbury 2022; 2019 winner Marie White, who later signed with Decca Records and Universal Publishing; rapper Flohio who won the prestigious Music Moves Europe Talent Award in 2020; R&B singer Izzy Bizu (a 2016 BRITs Critics’ Choice nominee and winner of the 2016 BBC Music Introducing Award); and singer-songwriter Declan McKenna, who won ETC 2015 and subsequently signed with Columbia and has released two successful albums. The 2017 ETC winner was singer Josh Barry, who has since toured with Rag’n’Bone Man and Gorgon City. Meanwhile, 2016 winners She Drew The Gun have received considerable acclaim for their politically-inspired psych-pop.