Glastonbury Festival, backed by PRS for Music and PRS Foundation, has announced its 2024 Emerging Talent Competition, offering new UK and Ireland-based acts from any musical genre a chance to perform on one of the festival's main stages.

The competition, which is free to enter, is not just about the performance opportunity.

The winner will also receive a £5,000 Talent Development prize from PRS Foundation, aimed at enhancing their music career. Additionally, two runners-up will be awarded a £2,500 Talent Development prize each from PRS Foundation.

Previous winners of the competition have seen significant career growth.

The 2022 winner, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis McLaughlin, has gained recognition with a series of successful TV, radio, and live performances.

N'famady Kouyaté, the 2023 winner, shared his experience: "Winning Glastonbury's Emerging Talent Competition was amazing and has opened loads of doors for me. It gave me and the band a chance to perform on an amazing stage at an incredible festival. Winning also meant that I could take the next steps to further my career. If you think you're ready to take the next steps too, I highly suggest you enter this year's contest!"

Entries for the competition are open for one week only, from 9am Monday 29th January until 5pm Monday 5th February 2024. A panel of 30 UK music writers, including Best Fit, will compile a longlist of 90 acts, which will be narrowed down to eight finalists by judges including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis. The winning act will be decided at the live finals in Pilton.

Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said: "At a time when it's not always easy for acts to get their foot on the ladder, we're really happy to be able to offer this opportunity for rising artists. So many amazing acts have been showcased by the Emerging Talent Competition over the years - and, as with the Festival, we welcome artists from all musical genres. I'm really excited to hear what 2024's entries bring. It's free to enter, so it definitely can't hurt to give it a go!"

Entry to the competition is via glastonburyfestivals.co.uk