Thousands of entries. One winner.
We're excited to name Linda Diaz as the winner of the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest.
Watch her Tiny Desk (home) concert and her entry video.
Hailing from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Linda Diaz is a singer-songwriter —and former scholastic chess champion — with a sparkling stage presence. Her euphoric and calming music swirls R&B hooks with soulful melodies, often wrapping powerful, self-affirming messages in a warm yet refreshing sound.
As the winner of the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest, Linda Diaz was invited to perform a Tiny Desk (home) concert and was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered.
NPR Music's Bob Boilen and Contest judge Gina Chavez announced the winner on Morning Edition.
Later that day, Linda spoke with NPR's Ari Shapiro on All Things Considered.
Linda Diaz has a heavenly voice. Her song “Green Tea Ice Cream” encourages us all to live life to its fullest and appreciate what’s around us. It’s a song about slowing down, trying to find moments to enjoy life. Hearing her sing the line, “you should be living out your dreams / instead you’re tearing at the seams,” is particularly poignant in 2020 as we all struggle to find balance in our lives.
"Green Tea Ice Cream" was the submission I just kept going back to. Linda Diaz stood out in a crop of thousands of talented musicians but I knew early on that she was the one to beat. Her tone, her message and the band’s overall musical presentation is simply undeniable. They just nailed it. I’m so excited to see how her career blossoms from here and even more elated to get back to shooting Tiny Desk concerts at NPR HQ so that she can show us all why she’s the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest winner!
When you watch Linda Diaz perform you feel that she’s fully inhabiting her music – and when you HEAR her perform, that music and that voice are completely captivating. The delicate and clever melodic twists in "Green Tea Ice Cream" show off impressive songwriting skills and I’m excited to see what she’s going to do next!
Linda Diaz's "Green Tea Ice Cream" is a tasty treat that not only gave me goosebumps but a warm feeling all over. But more importantly, it was meditative and reminded me to take care of myself during this craziness that is 2020.
I loved Linda’s song because of the message. To me, it was a nice reminder to create because it’s my passion as an artist and I thank her for that.
I voted for Linda Diaz as the NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner because I liked her lyrical style and her voice and I really dug her band. The musicianship and production is really top-notch and it was clear to me that Linda Diaz is ready to meet a wider audience. I’m excited to see where her career goes.
If harmonies are medicine, then Linda Diaz is a salve for the soul. At a time when the world can feel like it's falling apart, a song like "Green Tea Ice Cream" is just what we need to find healing within so we can go out and make the world a better place for everyone.
Here's where you can watch videos from the musicians who've entered the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest. Find your band's entry, or just have a look around at what everyone's been creating.
We'll keep you up to date on news from the Tiny Desk community and the latest from NPR Music. Sign up here!