Applications for 2025 are now open! Click here to apply.
After winning the UK Festival Award for ‘Best Festival for Emerging Talent’ in 2023, we’re thrilled to return with our celebrated ‘Apply To Play’ competition. This year, we’re proud once again to offer South Yorkshire and the UK’s most exciting emerging talent the chance to share the stage with world-class headliners, supporting unsigned artists on their journey to becoming the headliners of tomorrow.
Each year, we partner with brilliant brands to offer an incredible prize package to one very lucky winner—and this year, we’ve gone even bigger!
Applications are open now until 31st January 2025. After that, the Tramlines team, along with a panel of the UK’s top tastemakers, will shortlist artists and bands, who will then be put to a public vote.
The Winner of the 2025 Apply to Play Competition will receive:
+ more to be announced!
The Finalists receive:
The 2025 panel is set to be announced soon, but in the meantime check out panel involved in picking the 2024 Apply to Play finalists:
Shell Zenner, a self-proclaimed advocate for grassroots talent, joins the panel from Amazing Radio. Amazing Radio, is a radio platform that prides itself on helping new and emerging artists get discovered across the UK and the USA.
This Feeling strives to be an organisation supporting emerging talent by helping band get their foot in the door, providing spaces to perform, hosting gigs – ultimately creating an amazing platform giving artists a true chance to crack the industry.
BBC Introducing is an industry renowned platform showcasing upcoming talent, where the likes of George EzraHaving won the UK Festival Award for ‘Best Festival for Emerging Talent’ in 2023, we’re excited to be back once again with our acclaimed ‘Apply To Play’ competition.
Offering some of South Yorkshire and the UK’s best emerging talent the opportunity to share the stage with world-class headliners, we’re incredibly proud to host unsigned artists and support them on their journey to becoming the headliners of tomorrow.
Every year, we partner with brilliant brands to offer an incredible prize package to one very lucky winner—and this year, we’ve gone even bigger!
Applications are open now until 31st January 2025, after which the Tramlines team, along with a panel of the UK’s best tastemakers, will shortlist artists and bands, putting the final selections to a public vote!
and Everything Everything have had their start in the music industry.
The Rock Revival is an online space dedicated to promoting bands artists. Their site is jam- packed with interviews with artists big and small, alongside album and concert reviews spanning the indie-genre. The Rock Revival will host the winners interview with the one and only John Kennedy!
Waterbear – The College of Music, founded by Adam Bushell and Bruce John Dickinson, is a college run by professional musicians and creatives actively-working in the music industry. They are dedicated to supporting musicians and artists, focusing on building them sustainable and long-term careers.
Exposed Magazine is the definitive entertainment, lifestyle and listings magazine for Sheffield. Established in 2003, it is the essential guide to culture, clubbing, food & drink, fashion, music reaching over 17,000 people weekly. This year our lucky winner will be invited to take part in an interview feature with our friends at Exposed.
Pirate.com is the artist go-to for 24/7 studio space, boasting over 700 purpose-built, 24-hour studios across the UK, US and DE. They have curated a vast community of artists and help progress their careers through free events and workshops online and in their studios. All finalists receive a whopping £100 credit for Pirate bookings.
The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation is right at the heart of Tramlines and the Sheffield Community. Their work enables, encourages and guides socially and economically disadvantaged people in Sheffield to develop musical abilities.