Glastonbury’s regular Emerging Talent Competition has this morning opened for entries, offering up-and-coming musicians from across the UK and Ireland the chance to win a slot on one of the festival’s main stages.
In addition to getting their name on the line-up, the winner will also receive a £5,000 Talent Development prize from the PRS Foundation. Two runners-up will each be awarded a £2,500 Talent Development prize.
Acts from any genre are encouraged to enter one original song along with a video of them performing live. Entries are open FOR ONE WEEK ONLY from 9am Monday 30th January until 5pm Monday 6th February 2023.
Once entries are closed, a panel of 30 music journalists will compile a longlist of the best 90 acts. Judges including organisers Michael and Emily Eavis will then narrow this down to an eight-artist shortlist who will compete in live finals to decide the winners.
To enter Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition for 2023, head to this form on their official website.
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 2022 winner was Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis McLaughlin, who has since got a series of acclaimed TV, radio and live performances under his belt.
She Drew The Gun, a psych-pop band from the Wirral, won the competition back in 2016 and have now released three studio albums. They were invited back to play at Glastonbury again in 2017, 2019 and 2022 (which means they’ve played at every Glasto since winning) and now have dozens of major festival appearances to their name. These include Boomtown, Truck Festival, Bluedot, Tramlines, Boardmasters and multiple appearances at Kendal Calling.
Other fantastic winners produced by the Emerging Talent Competition in recent years include R.A.E, who won the 2020 competition during the lockdown and went on to perform at Glastonbury when it returned in 2022. Another winner, Marie White, signed with Decca Records and Universal Publishing after her win in 2019.
Rapper Flohio is another successful winner, who won the Music Moves Europe Talent Award in 2020. R&B singer Izzy Bizu, a runner-up in 2014 went on to be a 2016 BRITs Critics’ Choice nominee and winner of the 2016 BBC Music Introducing Award. Singer-songwriter Declan McKenna, who won the competition in 2015, signed with Columbia and released two well-received albums.
Josh Barry, winner in 2017, has toured with artists like Rag’n’Bone Man and Gorgon City since his win. These talented individuals are just a few examples of the impressive winners that have come out of the Emerging Talent Competition.
In other news, Becky Hill has come very close to confirming she’ll be playing at Glastonbury this summer.
In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, she said: “I’m the first-ever female resident at Ibiza Rocks so that’s so cool. I’m currently working on my new album. All the music is written, we’re just getting it ready to release now. And I’m really hoping to be seen at Glastonbury this year, so fingers crossed”.
Guns N’ Roses basis Duff McKagan appears to have confirmed the band will be playing at Glastonbury after months of strong rumours they’ll be headlining the Pyramid Stage. With only Elton John officially confirmed, the bookies now have the banned pegged as joint-favourites for the two remaining headline slots, along with Arctic Monkeys.
Glasto organiser Emily Eavis told Metal Hammer in 2021: “We had Napalm Death in 2017, and it doesn’t get much heavier than that! But I think Guns N’ Roses need to play here at some point don’t they?”
And back in January 2020, The Sunday Times said: “Guns’n’Roses headlining Friday night Glastonbury [is] looking increasingly likely” – just weeks before almost all of that summer’s festivals were forced to cancel when the pandemic broke out.
However, despite earlier rumours of Britpop legends Blur being on the line-up this summer, it’s now looking unlikely the band will be there after drummer Dave Rowntree said: “No one, as far as I know, from Glastonbury has approached us.”
Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora told media there’s a chance of a reunion gig at Glastonbury 2023 and The 1975 are rumoured to appear after the long-expected band confirmed tour dates which leave them free over the weekend of the festival. It would be The 1975’s fourth time at Worthy Farm, having previously played sets in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and while they’ve been rumoured most years since they now haven’t been on the line-up for five years, despite countless comments from band members and crew that they want to return.
Pulp are also strongly rumoured to appear on the Glastonbury 2023 line-up after announcing details of a reunion tour next summer – which includes space for a potential Glasto slot. The band were already deemed a likely contender by bookmakers, who in September were offering odds of 9/1 on Pulp headlining the iconic Pyramid Stage.
Meanwhile, Victoria Beckham has ruled out a Worthy Farm appearance as part of a Spice Girls reunion in a US TV interview – following years of speculation fuelled by her former band mates.
She told Watch What Happens Live: “I had so much fun being in the Spice Girls – but now, with everything else that I have got going on with my fashion and my beauty line, four children, I couldn’t commit to that. love the girls. I really, really enjoy singing Spice Girls when I’m doing karaoke, but I think I’d better leave it there.”
Arctic Monkeys were also rumoured to have signed a deal to headline Glastonbury 2023 when their UK tour sold out in minutes last year. A source told The Sun: “‘Alex Turner and the band are coming back to Glastonbury, and this time their set is going to be even bigger and better.
“The lads have signed on the dotted line and will return to the Pyramid Stage next June. It is really special for them to be doing a hat trick on that stage and it is something they have wanted to do for a while.”
Glastonbury 2023 takes place from Wednesday 21st to Sunday 25th June 2023. Tickets sold out earlier late last year, but resales of cancelled tickets will take place later this spring.
Image credits:
Kevin Westenberg
Anna Barclay
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