2023 NewFound Talent Contest

*** This application is now CLOSED! Thank you to our all applicants.

You should be hearing from us by Friday, June 9th, 2023. ***

Equinor, in partnership with the Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Arts Society and MusicNL, is proud to present the 2023 NewFound Talent Contest!

When: Saturday, June 17 at 7pm

Where: Play on Gower, 99 Queen’s Road, St. John’s 

Here in this province, we’re fortunate to have a doryload of incredible young performers who are keeping the folk flame burning bright. The NewFound Talent Contest gives these rising young stars a chance to shine by giving them a space to showcase their skills, and a shot at winning some fantastic prizes to help them develop their music careers. 

ARE YOU THE NEXT YOUNG STAR?

Details:  If you

  • Are aged 19 and under 
  • Ready to perform one tune for a fine, supportive crowd including members of the public, local musicians and industry professionals. 
  • Are a singles or duo only (no bands)
  • Do not use a backing track
  • Up for grabs is over $6,000 in prizes (including professional industry development) to help participants fine tune their songwriting, performance and business skills. 
  • The first-place winner also gets to perform at the 47th Annual NL Folk Festival, gaining exposure as they share the stage with some of the world’s best folk artists. (See below for a complete list of prizes.) 

Prize Details

First Prize: 

  • Choice of either branding (electronic press kid (PDF), jewel case, logo) OR website (theme customized one-pager) (DC Design House) 
  • Pre-production/recording of a 2-song demo (Hurricane Music)
  • Mixing & mastering of a 2-song demo (Hurricane Music)
  • 50 complete retail-ready demo packages & starter merch package (3 t-shirts, 1 hoodie, 3 mugs) (Atlantic Music)
  • Consultation with an artist manager (Laughing Heart Music)
  • Perform at the NL Folk Festival 
  • An appearance on The Broadside livestream 
  • Long & McQuade gift card ($150 value)
  • 1-year MusicNL membership 

Second Prize: 

Third Prize: 

We thank Equinor, MusicNL, DC Design House, Hurricane Music, Atlantic Music, Laughing Heart Music, and Long & McQuade for their support!