Bobby Carter
Bobby Carter is the host and series producer for NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts.
In 2014, Carter produced his first Tiny Desk concert. Since then, his work has been at the intersection of music, technology, and engagement. He turned a modest Tiny Desk celebration of Black History Month in 2021 into a cross-cultural event combining music, film, photojournalism, and commentary. Carter leveraged this template to pull new teams together to bring a multi-dimensional, multi-continent, multi-platform celebration of Black Music Month, LatinX Heritage Month, Asian American/Pacific Islander Month and Indigenous People Month.
His vision has helped forge partnerships with, among others, HBO, Complexcon, and Amazon. Tiny Desk Concerts average 40 million views per month on YouTube and the phenomenal success of the brand has led to its expansion into Korea and Japan.
From 2020-2022, Carter and the music team adapted to the challenges of the pandemic to produce the innovative Tiny Desk [Home] Concerts series with artists like Kirk Franklin, Tame Impala, Tems, Jazmine Sullivan and C. Tangana.
Carter's career with NPR started in 1999 as a DJ for member station WJSU in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from Jackson State University in the summer of 2000, he traveled to Washington D.C. to begin his stint as the first intern for the yet-to-be-released web music program, All Songs Considered. He was later hired by NPR's 'New Media' department where he helped to lead and build the digital infrastructure for daily operations of NPR.org, driving live and on-demand programming for countless historical events including five Presidential elections, the Iraq War, and 9/11. When NPR Music launched in 2007, he lent his talents to the team, leading live remotes from the 9:30 Club, La Poison Rouge in New York, The Americana Awards, SXSW, and the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals.
During his time at NPR, Carter has helped expand NPR Music's reach, earning multiple Webby Awards, an Anthem Award, and a BET Hip Hop Award nomination.
Carter hails from St. Louis, is a globally-respected DJ, writer, public speaker, and judge for the Tiny Desk Contest.
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Isaiah Rashad put everything into this Tiny Desk. With bashful charm, the Chattanooga rapper gives an ambitious set of his best work thus far. -
Out of thousands of entries, several R&B artists stood out to the judges in the 2026 Tiny Desk Contest.
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The Long Beach emcee assembles a vibrant young band to play selections from Cry Baby and a highlight from Dark Times. -
The Southern hip-hop duo exemplifies familial camaraderie, which radiates throughout this performance, featuring a cross-section of their deep catalog. -
The fresh arrangements, the emcee's commanding performance and the audience's enthusiastic response shows that Eve's music remains timeless. -
The R&B veteran steps behind the Desk to blaze through his smash hits, including "Good Girls," "I Wanna Know" and the macking anthem, "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)." -
With a pocket nudged just left of center, drummer Karriem Riggins and singer Liv.e breeze through a fresh and funky set of cosmic R&B. -
The winner of the 2026 Tiny Desk Contest is revealed by NPR Music's Bobby Carter. It's the 12th time that an unsigned musical artist has won the nationwide challenge. -
Difficult to classify, yet easy to love, Infinity Song's soulful sibling harmonies fill out every part of this charming performance, including the premiere of a new song. -
If we're putting a spotlight on faith-based hip-hop, we had to start with Lecrae. His devotion is unapologetic and his music is real.
