Sam Smith Residency and BBC Introducing Talent Search Privacy Notice

Your trust is very important to us. This means the BBC is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. It is important that you read this notice so that you are aware of how and why we are using such personal data. This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal data about you during and after your relationship with us, in accordance with data protection law.

Why are we doing this and how can you participate?

Sam Smith and BBC Introducing are launching a talent search to find 10 artists to open for Sam Smith's UK residency.

To enter, simply upload a track you produced to our online platform. If composed as part of a group, all relevant members of the group must give their permission for the original composition to be used for the purposes of this talent search.

Local BBC Music Introducing shows will select entries to a longlist for the BBC Music HQ team to review. The shortlisted artists will then be sent to Sam Smith to select the final ten artists. The successful artists will be contacted approx. before Friday 28th August (date subject to change). You will not be contacted if you don't make it into the final ten. The selected artists will be required to answer a number of questions including confirmation that they are available for the dates required to perform at one of the events in the UK.

The opportunity for the ten artists is to perform one slots each, at one of the dates of Sam Smith's Residency in the UK. This set may be recorded.

If you appear on a BBC broadcast or in BBC content, this may include the programme or content being available online and/or on demand, and your contribution may be used again in a future broadcast. It may also include use on the BBC's social media channels.

For information in relation to how the BBC will process your personal data where you are providing contributions to our programmes, please see our Privacy Notice for Contributors here.

What personal data will the BBC collect and how will we use it?

The BBC will collect and process the personal data for the purposes of promoting and administering the talent search.

Personal data

You must be 18 years or older at the closing date of Wednesday 5th August 2026 to participate in the talent search.

The BBC will collect and process the following personal data about you:

• Full name

• Telephone number

• Email address

• Social media handle

• Audio/Visual Submission

Who is the Data Controller?

The BBC is the "data controller" of your personal data. This means that the BBC decides what your personal data is used for, and the ways in which it is processed. For the avoidance of doubt, your personal data will be collected and processed solely for the purposes set out in this privacy notice. As the data controller, the BBC has the responsibility to comply, and to demonstrate compliance with, data protection law.

Lawful basis for processing your personal data

The legal basis on which the BBC processes your personal data is the performance of its public task. The BBC's role is to act in the public interest and to serve all audiences with content which informs, educates and entertains, and to reflect the United Kingdom and its cultures and values to the world.

Sharing your personal data

The BBC works with our approved third-party providers who help us to provide some of our services. These partners only use your personal data on behalf of the BBC and not independently of the BBC. We currently use a third-party data storage provider to store your data collected through the uploader form.

We may share personal data with a third party where required or permitted by law.

If you are shortlisted, your personal data will be shared with the judging panel.

Retaining your personal data

The BBC will retain all submissions and any associated personal data and delete them by October 2026.

We keep records of the selected artists for two (2) years for auditing and compliance purposes.

If you appear on a BBC broadcast or in our other content, this will be retained and archived in perpetuity by the BBC.

Your personal data will be stored in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA).

Your rights and more information

You have rights under data protection law:

• You can request a copy of the personal data BBC stores about you.

• You have the right to request that we rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you.

• You have the right to ask for the personal data we collect about you to be deleted however there are limitations and exceptions to this right which may entitle the BBC to refuse your request.

• In certain circumstances, you have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data or to object to the processing of your personal data.

• You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal data to you or to another organisation, in certain circumstances.

You can contact our Data Protection Officer if you have questions or you wish to find out more details about your rights, please visit the BBC's Privacy and Cookies Policy at http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy.

If you have a concern about the way the BBC has handled your personal data, you can raise your concern with the supervisory authority in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) https://ico.org.uk/.

Updating this privacy notice

We will revise the privacy notice if there are significant changes to how we use your personal data.

For information in relation to how the BBC will process your personal data where you are providing contributions to our programmes, please see our Privacy Notice for Contributors here.

What personal data will the BBC collect and how will we use it?

The BBC will collect and process the personal data for the purposes of promoting and administering the talent search.

Personal data

You must be 18 years or older at the closing date of Wednesday 5th August 2026 to participate in the talent search.

The BBC will collect and process the following personal data about you:

• Full name

• Telephone number

• Email address

• Social media handle

• Audio/Visual Submission

Who is the Data Controller?

The BBC is the "data controller" of your personal data. This means that the BBC decides what your personal data is used for, and the ways in which it is processed. For the avoidance of doubt, your personal data will be collected and processed solely for the purposes set out in this privacy notice. As the data controller, the BBC has the responsibility to comply, and to demonstrate compliance with, data protection law.

Lawful basis for processing your personal data

The legal basis on which the BBC processes your personal data is the performance of its public task. The BBC's role is to act in the public interest and to serve all audiences with content which informs, educates and entertains, and to reflect the United Kingdom and its cultures and values to the world.

Sharing your personal data

The BBC works with our approved third-party providers who help us to provide some of our services. These partners only use your personal data on behalf of the BBC and not independently of the BBC. We currently use a third-party data storage provider to store your data collected through the uploader form.

We may share personal data with a third party where required or permitted by law.

If you are shortlisted, your personal data will be shared with the judging panel.

Retaining your personal data

The BBC will retain all submissions and any associated personal data and delete them by October 2026.

We keep records of the winners for two (2) years for auditing and compliance purposes.

If you appear on a BBC broadcast or in our other content, this will be retained and archived in perpetuity by the BBC.

Your personal data will be stored in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA).

Your rights and more information

You have rights under data protection law:

• You can request a copy of the personal data BBC stores about you.

• You have the right to request that we rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you.

• You have the right to ask for the personal data we collect about you to be deleted however there are limitations and exceptions to this right which may entitle the BBC to refuse your request.

• In certain circumstances, you have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data or to object to the processing of your personal data.

• You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal data to you or to another organisation, in certain circumstances.

You can contact our Data Protection Officer, external if you have questions or you wish to find out more details about your rights, please visit the BBC's Privacy and Cookies Policy at http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy.

If you have a concern about the way the BBC has handled your personal data, you can raise your concern with the supervisory authority in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) https://ico.org.uk/, external.

Updating this privacy notice

We will revise the privacy notice if there are significant changes to how we use your personal data.