NowNewMusic Contest | Announcements

It’s been an amazing 7 years…
…but it’s time.

The NowNewMusic Contest is officially ending.

I made the decision in mid-December, and my fellow NNMC Council members have know about it since that time. I am aware of how sudden this announcement is, so I want to apologize in advance to everyone I blindsided, especially those who just recently (re)joined, were planning to return, and those who already had plans for NNMC this year. I also want to personally apologize to MG as our latest winning user, for I imagine with a country like Benin, you are excited to play the role of host country.

I could’ve announced this much sooner, but I felt that I had to keep this under wraps because I wanted to maintain that sense of normalcy throughout the past edition. Seeing our hilarious banters in the forum and Discord has always been enjoyable and I didn’t want to disturb these good vibes.

This contest will close properly and ceremoniously, unlike other contests in which the organizer ghosts everybody. The 2022 Song of the Year will still happen (and will be posted tomorrow). Tufkai will still organize the Second Chance Contest. I will also put out a couple videos to bring closure to NNMC. All of these events are going to be the contest's last hurrahs, so let’s make the most of it!

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Why? Several reasons.

I don’t have the will to continue this contest anymore. This past year was full of self-reflection. I knew in my mind NNMC wasn’t gonna last forever, but until how long was the question. I thought I’d be able to end NNMC at a monumental 100 editions, which would mean three more years of this contest. It would end in 2025, a pretty nice-looking year to end on. That was initially my big dream.

However, life has caught up to me. I made it a mission to make 2022 the year I was gonna make a lot of big changes for myself. And big changes they were. I’m now in my mid-20’s, and my outlook in life has changed. My experiences over the past 12 months reignited my drive to pursue the personal goals that I have put on hold for too long (through COVID and all). The experiences I recently gained and the experiences I anticipate to have requires a shift in my priorities. Running NNMC is not among the things I wanna do anymore; it’s a hobby I’m putting to rest.

This year (really these past couple of years), I’ve lost some of the fun and excitement I used to have running NNMC in contrast to the early years. Almost everything became a chore (voting, editing, posting, etc.). I pride myself in having the patience of a saint, but I was getting mad at things I shouldn’t be mad about. In hindsight, I was very ambitious when I decided at the very beginning (back in 2016!) that it would run monthly. That, and also having a very high ceiling of participating users. It’s crazy I was able to do this for seven years straight! However, I’m burned out now. I think everyone in the NNMC Council is feeling that way, too. Participating in online song contests has jaded me. It was either I begrudgingly endured three more years to get to the dream 100th edition, or I end it all now before I began a whole new year of ten editions. Ultimately, I decided it’s time for me to move on for the sake of my mental health.

Why not ask to hand it over to another user?

I’ve thought about that. If I did give it to another user, I would want NNMC to keep running the way it has been since the semis were introduced in Edition #07: confirmations in the first week, voting periods 7-8 days each, and results the day after voting closes. Don’t forget to make the videos! Now do all that ten times for one whole year. I’m a stickler for consistency. Very few contests run at this pace. You may have noticed in the the most recent editions that I’ve been slipping in keeping that monthly routine (shortened voting periods; the long wait for the semis recaps in November; the delayed start in December). It became a burden. I do not wish to put that responsibility on anyone else.

Revamping the contest to a more relaxed format would just not be the same. It’s not NNMC if it’s not 10 editions a year as I had intended. With the way I’ve organized this contest over the years, this contest is too far gone for an overhaul.

I don’t intend on bringing NNMC back in the future. If someone out there wants to let the spirit of NNMC live on, I encourage you begin a whole new contest. I won’t be a part of it, but feel free to consult me; my first word of advice would be to organize the contest in a way that doesn’t stress you out.

Am I quitting the forum?

No, and that extends to Discord. It’s still a great community to be a part of, a place where I can chat with people like you all. I just won’t be as involved in the forum as I used to be. I’ll be a spectator. The forum is a great resource to discover amazing, underrated, and timeless songs from around the world. Some of them have been among my all-time favorites. With such musically tasteful users as yourselves, I look forward to any future songs you submit elsewhere in the forum.

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Looking back.

70 editions.
I can’t believe that’s how many editions I’ve produced.

Not very many contests even reach that many iterations. The idea for this contest was conceived in February 2016. One month later, twelve users took part in the first edition. Since then, the number of participants has quintupled in size. I ran it solo the first two years, so starting the NNMC Council in 2018 was such a crucial decision. So many changes, highs and lows have occurred over the editions. To have NNMC go this long and be listed just below NVSC in the SCF home page is surreal. It made me realize how far I’ve come and how capable I am of incredible things in my future endeavors. Thank you all (past and present) for being a part of that.

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And now, some shoutouts.

First, shoutout to AussieSwarm , Fatih , panchin , Kinoshita! , and all other users I missed to mention who helped create and edit the NNMC Wiki. For you all to take the time out of your days to do that makes me proud of the community I built. I wish I could’ve acknowledged you all more often, but I know the effort is there, so I thank you for it! I would hope to see the Wiki preserved as a time capsule of our achievements.

Shoutout to every single replacement voter. You have helped me to avoid disqualifying any songs that would have deserved their original placement. You also held the power to disrupt and change the results, especially in these recent editions where there has not been any runaway winners. You have all been valuable in keeping me sane.

Shoutout to the users who submitted entries which have become all-time favorites of mine. Discovering these incredible tracks would not have been possible without you all. Some of these songs ended up growing on me long after they participated. I wish I could have a big taglist for this, but there’s too many to count, and this post is getting long.

Shoutout to every user who has won NNMC. You all deserve special acknowledgements because every contest has winners, and you (or rather we) will always be part of the NNMC Winners’ Circle.

Thank you to the SCF admins for having this forum and continuing to let it exist. The opportunity to start our own online song contests would not have been possible without this incredible platform.

To Matilda and Wysteria – former NNMC Council members – thanks for being part of the journey even if it was only part of the way.

To my fellow current NNMC Council members – Tufkai , 𝖱𝖠𝖣𝖤𝖰𝖰 , Gregory (inactive) – I want to thank you guys for sticking with me since literally the very beginning of NNMC in 2016! Thanks for helping me navigate this ship through calm and stormy waters. I love you all so much.

𝖱𝖠𝖣𝖤𝖰𝖰 , I’m really sorry that you weren’t able to win an edition after all these years. You introduced me to incredible Polish music; all of sanah's entries have mostly been incredible, and “Melodia ta” is probably the entry that gave the most convincing winner vibes. If I could keep going until you won, I would (but I would have to rig it hehe). Thanks for helping around where you were able to (voting grids, playlists, banners, running orders, etc.). Thank you for your sense of humor.

Tufkai , thanks for sticking with NNMC for literally every single edition. I think you and I are the only users to participate in all 70 editions, so that’s our special NNMC bond. I love that we think the same things sometimes. Great minds think alike. Thank you for conceiving the Second Chance Contest (and its ASMR-style results presentation). It’s fun! You clearly are dedicated to this contest. I think it’s safe to say NNMC ends with you at the top of the User Rankings, right? You are truly one of the greatest!

Gregory (inactive) , thank you for being a convenience when I need it, especially assisting me around deadlines. Thank you for sending reminders, ensuring votes came in, meaning the contest would continue to succeed. Thank you for being helpful even before the NNMC Council was a thing. Also, meeting you in person is definitely one of my biggest highlights this year. Let’s hope to meet again in the future!

And finally, one massive shoutout to every user, past and present, who has participated in the NowNewMusic Contest! There would not be a contest without anyone participating. I always say it in almost every edition: you are the most important part of what made NNMC succeed through all these years.

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I expect some reactions to this. Don't be scared to be open and honest about them in the General Discussion thread.

To end this post, I will bless you all with the final shot of the final recap of the final edition of NNMC: the one and only Nicki Minaj! Just for you, Chante™ … and Sel , too, I guess.



I haven’t said this enough. Thank you so much for being a part of this whirlwind of an experience. Let’s end this contest strong with our Song of the Year and Second Chance Contest events!

Happy New Year!