Dallas hip hop collective Cure for Paranoia is the winner of NPR's 2026 Tiny Desk Contest.
The band edged out more than 6,000 other entries to land the top spot in the competition known for launching the careers of independent artists.
Contestants must submit a video that features a desk and an original song that hasn’t been entered into the competition before.
It’s Cure For Paranoia's fourth year entering the competition, and each time the band has been among the jury’s favorites. Cure for Paranoia frequently pops up on episodes of NPR Music’s “Top Shelf” where a rotating cast of judges discuss the best entries.
This year, the band made themselves impossible to ignore. The group performed the song “No Brainer” in front of Tony Tasset’s 30-foot-tall sculpture of an eyeball in Downtown Dallas.
Warning: The video below contains language some might find offensive.
Emcee Cameron McCloud and producers Jay Analog and Tomahawk Jonez form the core of the band, but this year’s entry, like others in the past, includes additional musicians.
“The most impressive thing about this band is that every entry has been like a completely different presentation,” said Bobby Carter, Tiny Desk host and series producer, on a recent episode of “Top Shelf.” "This band, and this emcee Cameron, they are unbelievable."
The group’s lyrics, even its name, reflect McCloud’s sense of humor.
He is open about his mental health challenges, including his struggles with bipolar depression and paranoid schizophrenia. Music, he’s said, has offered him relief where medicine couldn’t.
Warning: The video below contains language some might find offensive.
Dallas emcee Kole also earned a spot on Tiny Desk’s “Top Shelf.”
As the winner, Cure for Paranoia will record a Tiny Desk concert at NPR’s headquarters in Washington D.C. and serve as the headlining act on a 10-city tour.
Got a tip? Email Marcheta Fornoff at mfornoff@kera.org.
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