Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition 2015 Longlist Revealed

The Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition gives new and unsigned artists from the UK and Ireland the chance to compete for a slot on one of the main stages at the world’s most famous festival. Today the longlist of 120 acts selected by the first round judges (including Breaking More Waves) was published. This longlist will be cut down into a shortlist of just 8 by another group of judges. The lucky 8 will then be invited to play at a live final in Pilton in April to decide the winner. 

It’s the fourth time that Breaking More Waves has been involved in judging the opening round of the competition, which this year had in the region of 7,000 entries. For 2015, for our part, we listened to just over 150 acts from a variety of genres from folk, indie, rock, pop, soul, electronic and more and were asked to choose 3 for the longlist.

Our three choices are:

1st Felix Hagan & The Family

Brilliantly absurd and dandyish musical theatre that will have you dancing on the tables. Our number 1 choice.



2nd Wyldest 

Already featured a number of times on Breaking More Waves. Hazy, melancholy, ethereal pop that twinkles and shimmers with loveliness. For fans of Beach House and 80's indie.



3rd Fjokra

A bit of a ‘wild card’ choice perhaps, but this confusing multi-genre embracing alt pop/rock full of hyperactivity stood out for its plethora of ideas.



We’re looking forward to listening to all the acts nominated, and of course seeing who the long list judges choose for the live final. In previous years some of the bands who have made the longlist (but don't necessarily make the shortlist) go on to do well anyway, even if they don't make the final. For example the likes of Circa Waves, Laura Doggett and Slaves have all cropped up on this list and have then gone on to get record deals.

You can see the full longlist for 2015 here and listen to most of the nominated acts here, except for a small handful who didn't supply a public link to the song they entered, including one of our own choices Wyldest (although you can hear their new single above).

Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition 2015

For the last 3 years Breaking More Waves has assisted in the judging of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition and will be doing so again in 2015. Entry for this year’s competition is now open.

The competition gives new acts based in the UK and Ireland the chance to compete for a slot on one of the main stages at the festival as well as a £5,000 PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development prize, to help take their songwriting and performing to the next level. Two runners-up will also each be awarded a £2,500 PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development prize. 

Acts from any musical genre can enter the competition for one week only until 5pm Monday 26th January 2015. Previous artists that have either won or featured on either the long or short lists of the competition include Stornoway,The Subways, Bridie Jackson & The Arbour, Scouting For Girls, Treetop Flyers, M+A (last year's winners), Slaves (on this year's BBC Sound of list) and Laura Doggett (way back in 2011 – Laura is now signed to a major record label).

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

Once the thousands of entries are in, a panel of 40 music writers (including Breaking More Waves) will help compile a longlist of 120 acts. The longlist will then be whittled down to a shortlist of 8 artists by judges including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, before the live finals at Pilton Working Men’s Club in April decide the winning act. Last year one of Breaking More Waves 3 choices Gibson Bull made it through to the live final and then secured several slots on smaller stages at the festival. Rumour has it that Gibson Bull was also the firm favourite of none other than Michael Eavis.

If you’re a band or artist and fancy your chances then don’t delay and enter using this link. Hopefully we’ll see you on a stage in Somerset this summer.